India vs New Zealand T20I series: Rohit Sharma to lead; Venkatesh Iyer, Harshal Patel earn maiden call-up

Rohit Sharma will lead the Indian team for the three-match T20I series against New Zealand, beginning on November 17.

Rohit Sharma in action during the T20 World Cup.

Rohit Sharma will lead India in the three-match T20I series against New Zealand which begins at Jaipur on November 17. K.L. Rahul will be his deputy.

Ruturaj Gaikwad and Venkatesh Iyer, who performed exceptionally well in IPL 2021, were included in the squad. Yuzvendra Chahal, who was dropped for the T20 World Cup, returned to the side while R. Ashwin retained his spot.

The senior selection committee, headed by Chetan Sharma, picked a 16-member squad for the series. Virat Kohli who relinquished his captaincy from the shortest format, has been rested.

The committee also picked an India-A squad, led by Priyank Panchal, that will travel to South Africa from November 23 to play in three four-day matches in Bloemfontein.

India’s T20I squad:  Rohit Sharma (Captain), KL Rahul (Vice-Captain), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Ishan Kishan (wicket-keeper), Venkatesh Iyer, Yuzvendra Chahal, R Ashwin, Axar Patel, Avesh Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Deepak Chahar, Harshal Patel, Mohd. Siraj .