Ajinkya Rahane to lead India in 1st Test against New Zealand, Virat Kohli to join squad as captain for second Test, Rohit Sharma rested | Cricket News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: The BCCI selection committee on Friday announced India’s squad for the two-Test home series against New Zealand, with Ajinkya Rahane to lead the team in the first Test and Virat Kohli to return as red-ball captain for the second game.
“The All-India Senior Selection Committee has picked the squad for the upcoming two-match Test series against New Zealand. Virat Kohli will join the squad for the second Test and will lead the team,” BCCI’s honorary secretary, Jay Shah, said in a release.
Newly appointed T20I captain and regular opener Rohit Sharma, wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant and pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami have all been rested as part of BCCI’s workload management policy.

Cheteshwar Pujara will be the vice-captain of the side, with KS Bharat joining Wriddhiman Saha as the two wicketkeepers in the squad.
Middle-order batter Shreyas Iyer made a comeback in the Test squad along with off-spinner Jayant Yadav.
The first Test is scheduled to begin on November 25 in Kanpur. The second Test of the series will be played in Mumbai from December 3.
The Test series will be preceded by a three-match T20I series.
India’s Test squad: Ajinkya Rahane (captain for 1st Test), KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara (vice-captain), Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, Wriddhiman Saha (wicket-keeper), KS Bharat (wicket-keeper), Ravindra Jadeja, R. Ashwin, Axar Patel, Jayant Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav, Mohammad Siraj, Prasidh Krishna
(With PTI inputs)