Gurnoor Brar gets India Test call-up, Kuldeep released for domestic cricket

India added pacer Gurnoor Brar to its Test squad for the two-match New Zealand series, while Kuldeep Yadav was released to play domestic cricket. Brar will miss the fifth ODI, for which the BCCI said no replacement would be named

Mumbai: Pacer Gurnoor Brar has been added to India’s squad for the forthcoming two-match Test series against New Zealand and subsequently released from the ODI squad ahead of the fifth and final game of the five-match series, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said on Saturday. Meanwhile, spinner Kuldeep Yadav will link up with his domestic side, Uttar Pradesh, and play in upcoming tournaments.

“The Men’s Selection Committee has added Gurnoor Brar to the Indian squad for the two-match Test series against New Zealand, starting November 19, 2026, in Wellington. Kuldeep Yadav will be released from the Test squad to play domestic cricket back in India.

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“Meanwhile, wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant has joined the members of the Test squad in Wellington. Gurnoor will now link up with the members of the Test squad and will not be available for the fifth ODI. There will be no replacement for the final ODI,” the BCCI said in a statement on Saturday.

The Men in Blue had a dreadful outing in the fourth ODI on Friday following the departure of senior players Shubman Gill and KL Rahul, who left the side to join the Test squad after the third game of the 50-over series.

The Kiwis made the most of the conditions, with Matt Henry shining with a six-wicket haul as the Indian batting unit collapsed to a mere 89 while chasing a target of 334. India eventually suffered a 244-run defeat, its second-biggest loss by margin of runs in ODIs.

After the ODI series concludes on Sunday, the two sides will lock horns in two Tests, beginning on Thursday at Basin Reserve in Wellington.

India’s updated Test squad: Shubman Gill (captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul (vice-captain), Devdutt Padikkal, Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper), Dhruv Jurel (wicketkeeper), Ravindra Jadeja, Anshul Kamboj, Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Sai Sudharsan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Mohammed Siraj, Gurnoor Brar.

India’s updated ODI squad for the fifth ODI: Shreyas Iyer (captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Tilak Varma, Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper and vice-captain), Axar Patel, Naman Dhir, Auqib Nabi, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Arshdeep Singh, Kumar Kushagra (wicketkeeper), Mohammed Siraj, Yash Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav.