Gurnoor Brar has been added to India's Test squad for the two-match series against New Zealand, the BCCI announced on Saturday, 14 November, after the Punjab fast bowler's breakout performances in the one-day series. Kuldeep Yadav has been released from the Test squad to play domestic cricket back in India, and Rishabh Pant has joined the Test squad in Wellington.
The first Test starts on Thursday, 19 November at the Basin Reserve in Wellington, with the second Test at Hagley Oval in Christchurch from 27 November. Brar will link up with the Test squad straight away, which means he will miss the fifth and final ODI of the series on Sunday, 15 November. No replacement has been named for the ODI.
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 in order to play the ongoing domestic cricket back in India.
Why Brar has earned the call-up
Brar, 26, has been the find of India's white-ball tour. The 6 ft 5 in right-arm pacer from Muktsar in Punjab has taken nine wickets in three ODI innings against New Zealand, and he has done it with the new ball and at the death, on pitches that have rewarded his hit-the-deck lengths.
He started the series with 3-44 in the first ODI at Eden Park in Auckland on 4 November, as India bowled New Zealand out for 185 and won by five wickets under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method. Then came the career-best spell: 4-30 from his full ten overs, including two maidens, in the second ODI in Wellington on 7 November, when he was named Player of the Match as India defended 134 and won by four runs under DLS. He added 2-69 in the fourth ODI at Bay Oval on 13 November.
That 4-30 is the third-best ODI bowling figures by an Indian in New Zealand, behind only Anil Kumble's 5-33 in Wellington in 1994 and Javagal Srinath's 4-23 in Auckland in 2002. Before the fourth ODI, Brar had 21 wickets from 11 ODI innings, and his seven wickets in the first two matches of this series lifted him 60 places to 48th in the ICC ODI bowling rankings.
The call-up had been coming. Assistant coach Sitanshu Kotak said on 9 November that Brar, Arshdeep Singh and Auqib Nabi would stay on in New Zealand to help the Test squad prepare, and the red-ball specialists began their camp in Wellington on 11 November. Brar, who has 71 first-class wickets in 22 matches for Punjab, is now in line for a Test debut.
What happens to Kuldeep Yadav
Kuldeep's release is a selection call shaped by conditions and form. The wrist-spinner has played just one match on the tour so far — the fourth ODI at Bay Oval, where he went wicketless for 73 runs in eight overs as New Zealand piled up 333. He stays in the ODI squad for the fifth ODI on Sunday, then heads home to play domestic cricket, turning out for Uttar Pradesh in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, which got under way on Friday.
India's Test attack for New Zealand is pace-heavy, which is no surprise on seaming pitches. Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj lead the attack, with Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Anshul Kamboj and now Brar as the other seam options. Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar are the two spinners in the 16-man squad, and both can bat, which gives India the balance they want for a two-Test series.
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
What happens next
Brar joins a Test squad that is already gathering in Wellington, with Pant having linked up with the group after being cleared fit on 12 November. India lead the ODI series 2-1 going into Sunday's decider at Bay Oval, and the focus then switches fully to the Tests — the first from 19 to 23 November at the Basin Reserve, the second from 27 November to 1 December at Hagley Oval. Both Tests are part of the World Test Championship 2025-27 cycle.
FAQs
Why has Gurnoor Brar been added to India's Test squad?
The BCCI added the 26-year-old Punjab pacer to the Test squad on 14 November after his breakout ODI series in New Zealand, where he has taken nine wickets in three innings, including a career-best 4-30 in Wellington that earned him Player of the Match. He had already been asked to stay on to help the Test squad prepare.
Why has Kuldeep Yadav been released from the Test squad?
Kuldeep has been released to play domestic cricket back in India. He has played just one match on the tour so far — the fourth ODI at Bay Oval, where he went wicketless for 73 runs — and India's Test attack for New Zealand is pace-heavy, with Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar as the two spinners.
Will Brar play the fifth ODI against New Zealand?
No. Brar will link up with the Test squad in Wellington and is not available for the fifth ODI at Bay Oval on Sunday, 15 November. The BCCI said no replacement would be named for the final ODI. Kuldeep Yadav stays in the ODI squad for that match.
Who is in India's updated Test squad for New Zealand?
The 16-man squad is Shubman Gill (captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul (vice-captain), Devdutt Padikkal, Rishabh Pant, Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja, Anshul Kamboj, Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Sai Sudharsan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Mohammed Siraj and Gurnoor Brar.
When does the India vs New Zealand Test series start?
The first Test is from 19 to 23 November at the Basin Reserve in Wellington, and the second Test is from 27 November to 1 December at Hagley Oval in Christchurch. Both Tests are part of the World Test Championship 2025-27 cycle.
Conclusion
This is a reward for form, plain and simple. Brar arrived in New Zealand as a white-ball squad member and leaves the ODI leg as a Test squad member, having taken nine wickets in three innings and climbed 60 places in the ICC rankings. For Kuldeep, it is a frustrating end to the tour — one expensive outing and a flight home to domestic cricket. For India, the message is clear: on New Zealand's seaming pitches, pace is the way in, and Brar has bowled his way into the side.
Also on CricVic: Rishabh Pant Cleared Fit for New Zealand Tests After BCCI Centre of Excellence Sign-Off and Will Young's 125 and Matt Henry's 6-27 Power New Zealand to Record 244-Run Win Over India
Sources: BCCI — Gurnoor Brar added to India's Test squad; Kuldeep Yadav released, News18 — Gurnoor Brar Added To India's Test Squad For New Zealand Series, Kuldeep Yadav Released, Indian Express — IND vs NZ: India drop Kuldeep Yadav from Test squad, Gurnoor Brar named replacement, NDTV Sports — Only Anil Kumble, Javagal Srinath Ahead Of Him: Gurnoor Brar Joins Elite India List vs New Zealand