Shubman Gill’s Team India are set to face New Zealand in a two-match Test series in November this year.
Published: September 11, 2026, 3:00 PM IST
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Team India’s next Test assignment will be against New Zealand in November(Photo: IANS)
India vs New Zealand 2026 Tests: Team India Test vice-captain KL Rahul will be side’s main batter in the two-Test series against New Zealand beginning November 19, reckons former Black Caps and Mumbai Indians pacer Trent BoultThe 37-year-old, who has 317 Test wickets to his name, is a big admirer of Rahul’s batting style and expects the Indian opener to be among the key players in the series.
The marathon tour, beginning October 22, also features 10 white-ball games and is part of centenary celebration of the India-New Zealand sporting ties“I’m always a big fan of KL Rahul and his style of batsmanshipSo he’s a big player at the top of the order for the Indian sideAnd yeah, I believe Jaiswal is there as wellTwo classy batters to see batSo yeah, be interesting to see,” Boult said in an exclusive interview to PTI news agency.
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India A set to face New Zealand A before senior teams clash in all-format series later this year
“It’s always an exciting chance when the Indian team comes down to play Test cricket in New Zealand,” he added.
Delhi Capitals response to KL Rahul making the coffee pic.twitter.com/0GwFirMfVT
— Johns(@CricCrazyJohns) September 11, 2026
The timing of the tour, late October-November rather than the traditional February-March window that India has been using, could make conditions particularly challenging for the batters as Boult expects the weather to be cold“The only thing I can see happening is it’s going to be late OctoberI believe, just coming out of winterSo it’s going to be quite coldHopefully, there’s a bit of greenness in the wickets for some of our bowlers.
“It’s going to be a good series, I’m sure,” the left arm pacer, who was retained for Rs 12.5 crore by Nita Ambani’s Mumbai Indians, said.
Boult and Tim Southee formed a formidable new-ball partnership for New Zealand over many years, but the veteran feels the current group also has enough variety and quality to create its own identity, with Kyle Jamieson, Matt Henry, Nathan Smith and Will O’Rourke offering different strengths.
“I think the bowling is very well balancedIt’s got bases covered in terms of a good pace, obviously, with Will O’RourkeObviously, a bit of swing and a bit of bounce from Kyle Jamieson and Matt Henry with his accuracy.
“So yeah, I think the way me, Tim and Wags did it over the years was a unique way in itselfBut there’s other strengths and other game plans that our younger bowlers can follow,” Boult said.
Boult also paid tribute to Neil Wagner, whose relentless approach and ability to extract the best out of difficult situations made him a vital part of New Zealand’s bowling attack alongside Boult and Southee“I don’t think you can compare anyone to Neil WagnerHe had that unique ability to find something out of nothing basically in the Test arena and he always wore his heart on his sleeve and gave everything.
“So he was a big part of the New Zealand team at the time, but a new look side now and a new look way of playing,” Boult added.
– with PTI inputs
