Wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant and pacers Prasidh Krishna and Harshit Rana are injury concerns for India ahead of the ODI and Test series against New Zealand.
Published: October 14, 2026, 1:08 PM IST
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Rishabh Pant (left) and Prasidh Krishna (centre) are still doubtful for selection in New Zealand series(Photo: IANS)
India vs New Zealand 2026: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) selectors announced the squad for the five-match T20I series and India ‘A’ matches in New Zealand a week backBut the squads for the five-match ODI series beginning on November 4 and two-mach Test series against the Black Caps beginning on November 19 are yet to be announced by the selectors.
One major reason for this delay is the fitness concern of key Indian cricketers – Rishabh Pant, Prasidh Krishna and Harshit RanaPant, who was selected for the India ‘A’ matches against New Zealand, was withdrawn from the squad and replaced by Kumar Kushagra as the Delhi wicketkeeper is suffering with a side strain.
Pacer Prasidh Krishna, on the other hand, is dealing with a hamstring injury since the second ODI against West Indies last monthAll-rounder Harshit Rana has been out of cricket since the white-ball series against England in July.
Gujarat Titans pacer Krishna has been given a three-week deadline to recover from injury since he reported to BCCI’s Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru on September 30According to a TOI report, Rana is expected to undergo ‘Return to Play’ simulation at the CoE on October 25 ahead of the Indian Team’s departure for ODI and Test series in New Zealand on October 28.
3 PLAYERS BECOME A HEADACHE FOR BCCI BEFORE NZ ODI SERIES
– BCCI is waiting for fitness updates on 3 players before announcing India’s ODI & Test squad for the New Zealand tour.
– Rishabh Pant
– Harshit Rana
– Prasidh KrishnaTheir fitness could play a key role in India’s squad selection.
— Sam (@cricsam02) October 14, 2026
The CoE are believed to be taking a cautious approach over Pant, who suffered the side strain during the Irani Cup match against Jammu and Kashmir earlier this month“With both Krishna and Pant, the injuries don’t look severe at the outsetBut he CoE doesn’t want to take any chancesThat’s why both of them were given three week timelines when they report to CoE,” a BCCI source was quoted as saying by TOI newspaper.
“The selectors and the BCCI team management are keen to have Rana in both formats, and he is seen as a perfect fit as the seam-bowling all-rounder batting at No8,” TOI quoted the source as saying.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar has started training at CoE
Meanwhile, Royal Challengers Bengaluru pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who is making a comeback into the Indian side after 4 years, has begun training for the five-match T20I series against New Zealand at the CoE in BengaluruThe T20I series against New Zealand is set to begin in Christchurch on October 22.
The 36-year-old pacer bowler is only active in T20 cricket these day, even for his domestic side Uttar PradeshHe was last seen in action in the Uttar Pradesh T20 League 2026 after the IPL 2026 campaign with RCB where he had claimed 28 wickets in 16 matches.
