Mohammed Shami
The exclusion of veteran fast bowler Mohammed Shami is perhaps the most perplexing. At 36, Shami has shown he's still at the top of his game. In the Ranji Trophy opener for Bengal just days before the squad announcement, he delivered a stellar performance,
claiming a five-wicket match haul against Delhi. His first innings figures of 4/30 were a masterclass in seam bowling. Shami hasn't played for India since the 2025 Champions Trophy final but enjoyed a phenomenal 2025-26 domestic season, taking 37 wickets at an average of 16.72. With Jasprit Bumrah returning from a break to lead the Test attack, Shami’s experience and wicket-taking prowess, especially in conditions that favour swing and seam in New Zealand, seemed a perfect fit. The selectors, however, have opted for a pace attack including the returning Akash Deep and Anshul Kamboj, signalling a clear focus on building for the future, but leaving a proven match-winner on the sidelines.
Sarfaraz Khan
The curious case of Sarfaraz Khan continues to baffle many in the Indian cricket fraternity. For years, Sarfaraz has been piling on runs in domestic cricket, boasting a first-class average that rivals the greats of the game. After finally making his Test debut in 2024, he seemed to be part of the middle-order plans. However, his name is conspicuously absent from the Test squad for the New Zealand tour. Sarfaraz has been in scintillating form, scoring a double century (227) in the Ranji Trophy in January 2026 and crossing the 5,000-run milestone in first-class cricket. He also showcased his adaptability in white-ball cricket, smashing the fastest-ever List A fifty by an Indian (in just 15 balls) during the 2025-26 Vijay Hazare Trophy. With India's Test middle order still finding its feet, dropping a player with such a prodigious run-scoring record, especially after he has worked on his fitness, is a decision that has been widely questioned.
Prithvi Shaw
Once hailed as the next big thing in Indian batting, Prithvi Shaw finds himself on the outside looking in yet again. The 26-year-old has had a turbulent few years but has shown signs of returning to his destructive best. He began the 2026-27 Ranji Trophy season with a blistering 70 off 73 balls for Maharashtra, displaying the attacking flair that makes him a unique talent. He also led the team to victory in the absence of Ruturaj Gaikwad. While his talent has never been in doubt, questions over consistency have followed him. Yet, his omission from both the ODI and Test squads feels like a missed opportunity. Shaw provides an explosive option at the top of the order that is different from the more conventional styles of Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal. His ability to take the game away from the opposition in a single session is a rare commodity that India could have utilised.
Ruturaj Gaikwad
While Ruturaj Gaikwad has been included in the ODI squad, his complete omission from the Test setup is a significant talking point. Gaikwad has been a model of consistency in domestic cricket across formats. He holds the joint record for the most centuries in the Vijay Hazare Trophy (15) and recently became the fastest player in List A history to score 20 centuries, achieving the feat in just 95 innings. Though primarily seen as a white-ball specialist, Gaikwad has a strong red-ball record, averaging over 45 in first-class cricket with nine centuries. He has shown the temperament and technique to succeed in the longest format. With the Test squad including several players like Devdutt Padikkal and Sai Sudharsan, Gaikwad's exclusion is surprising, especially given his leadership experience and prolific run-scoring in the domestic arena.
Ishan Kishan
Ishan Kishan’s situation is another head-scratcher. He features in the ODI squad but only for the first three matches before making way for Kumar Kushagra. More notably, he is absent from the Test squad, where Rishabh Pant and Dhruv Jurel have been named as the wicket-keeping options. Kishan has been in explosive form, finishing as the top run-scorer while leading Jharkhand to their first-ever Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy title in the 2025-26 season, where he scored a century in the final. His aggressive, left-handed batting style offers a dynamic that is similar to Pant's, making him a natural backup. His T20I form in 2026 has been exceptional, with multiple match-winning knocks for India. By not including him in the Test plans, selectors have missed a trick in having a like-for-like, in-form replacement ready should Pant's fitness issues resurface.
