BCCI announces 16-member T20I squad for India's NZ tour, Samson dropped

While Rohit Sharma and Mohammed Shami have been recalled for the series wicket-keeper batsman Sanju Samson has been dropped from the team following his one-match stint with the Men in Blue.

Mumbai: BCCI on Sunday announced a 16-member T20I squad for India's tour of New Zealand.

Rohit Sharma and Mohammed Shami returned to the squad after they were given break following India's home series against West Indies.

Meanwhile, wicket-keeper batsman Sanju Samson has been dropped from the team following his one-match stint with the Men in Blue. Samson made a return to the Indian team after five years but managed to score only six runs off two balls in the third and final T20I of the series against Sri Lanka.

The Indian contingent will leave for New Zealand on January 20 after the end of three-match home ODI series against Australia.

India will play five T20Is, three ODIs, two Tests and a practice match in New Zealand.

The first T20I of the series will be played on January 24 at Auckland.

Players like Manish Pandey, Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar and Navdeep Saini, who bowled some terrific spells in the recently concluded series against Sri Lanka, maintained their places in the squad.

India's T20I squad for NZ tour announced:Virat Kohli (C), Rohit Sharma (VC), KL Rahul, S Dhawan, Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Rishabh Pant (WK), Shivam Dube, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, W Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Shami, Navdeep Saini, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur