India’s tour of New Zealand is set to commence on 22nd October, with the two teams competing in five T20Is. The five ODIs are lined up before the important two-match Test series starting on 19th November. The two sides last met in late 2024, when the Kiwis humiliated the subcontinent team with a 3-0 series win.

Shubman Gill’s side have to win the red-ball series by a 2-0 margin to keep their WTC Final hopes alive.

The 38-year-old, speaking to Cricinfo, named KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal as the opening batters. Both players did reasonably well during the Sri Lanka tour in August. Jaiswal was in the news recently after getting dropped from the ODI squad.

Pujara placed Devdutt Padikkal at number three after the batter scored 328 runs in Sri Lanka with two tons and was also named Player of the Series. Shubman will bat at number four.

Rishabh Pant was placed at five, and he is expected to play a key role with the bat. The 29-year-old had a good tour of Sri Lanka and also became the first Indian batter to hit 100 Test sixes. At six, the Saurashtra legend named Dhruv Jurel.

Ravindra Jadeja and Nitish Kumar Reddy were given seventh and eighth spots. Jadeja has a point to prove after getting dropped from the ODI side. Reddy, on the other hand, last played a Test in late 2025.

As far as the seamers are concerned, Cheteshwar named jasprit bumrahMohammed Siraj, and Prasidh Krishna. Bumrah hasn’t played Tests since the game in Guwahati against South Africa in 2025. Siraj and Prasidh, on the other hand, were the two seamers during the Sri Lanka tour, which India went on with a 1-0 margin.

Cheteshwar Pujara’s India playing XI for 1st NZ Test

KL RahulYashasvi Jaiswal, Devdutt Padikkal, Shubman GillRishabh Pant, Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and Prasidh Krishna.