India Drop Axar Patel For 5th T20I Against New Zealand, Bhuvneshwar Kumar Returns

Bhuvneshwar Kumar is back in India’s playing XI for the fifth T20I against New Zealand, which is taking place at Seddon Park in Hamilton on Sunday (November 1). The 36-year-old pacer, who was only able to take one wicket in the first three matches, has been included in the side in place of Mayank Yadav, who accounted for the dismissals of three Kiwi batters in the fourth T20I on Friday (October 30).

In addition to Bhuvneshwar, former No. 1 T20I bowler Varun Chakaravarthy will also play in the fifth T20I against the Black Caps. He has replaced all-rounder Axar Patel in the playing XI.

Two changes for #TeamIndia in Hamilton.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Varun Chakaravarthy are back in the Playing XI.

Updates ▶️ https://t.co/B5TqF9MWu4

#NZvIND https://t.co/Hv3DsD0bqp

— BCCI (@BCCI) November 1, 2026

Axar played the first four matches for India in the ongoing away series but failed to do much with either the bat or the ball. In the fourth T20I on Friday, Axar conceded 43 runs in 3 overs and then scored 7 runs from nine balls as No. 9 batter in the 260-run chase at Seddon Park.

In the fifth T20I, India will bat first against the Black Caps. India skipper Shreyas Iyer opted to field first in the first four matches, but in the fifth match, New Zealand skipper Mitchell Santner invited India to bat first and set a target.

For Sunday’s match, New Zealand have also made one change to their playing XI. Blair Tickner is back in the XI in place of Matt Fisher.

15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who opened the innings for India in the third T20I after failing to deliver as a No. 3 batter in the second T20I, isn’t part of India’s playing XI for Sunday’s match. Vaibhav was left out of the XI to make way for Ishan Kishan in the fourth T20I, and the left-handed wicketkeeper-batter from Jharkhand has retained his place in the side for the fifth match as well despite two-ball duck in Auckland.

Ishan will bat at No. 3 in Hamilton and will have a chance to break the record for the most runs by an Indian batter in a calendar year in T20Is.

Playing XIs

India: Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan (WK), Shreyas Iyer (C), Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Naman Dhir, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Arshdeep Singh, Prince Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy

New Zealand: Tim Seifert (WK), Finn Allen, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Bevon Jacobs, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner (C), Nathan Smith, Adam Milne, Jacob Duffy, Blair Tickner