Gurpreet Singh was dropped as Khalid Jamil named India’s 23-man squad for New Zealand

ByTech Word News

Veteran wicketkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu has been left out of India’s 23-man squad for the upcoming two-match friendly series against New Zealand, head coach Khalid Jamil announced his selection on Friday.

Gurpreet’s omission comes after India’s disappointing 0-4 defeat against Brazil in October, where the veteran goalkeeper endured a tough outing. The former India captain is among the notable absentees as Jamil looks to reshape his squad ahead of two tough away matches.

India instead named Hrithik Tiwari, Som Kumar and Vishal Kaith as their three wicketkeeping options for the New Zealand tour.

The Blue Tigers face the All Whites on November 12 at Go Media Stadium in Auckland before facing them again on November 15 at One New Zealand Stadium in Christchurch. New Zealand are preparing for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, making these two matches a valuable test for Jamil’s squad.

The squad also includes three players from Naushad Moosa’s SAFF Championship 2026 contingent. Bijoy Varghese, Muhammad Suhail and Liston Colaco will leave the Dhaka tournament to join the senior team in New Zealand.

Meanwhile, Farukh Choudhary, Noufal PN and Hmingthanmawia Ralte have been released from the SAFF Championship squad and will return to their club Mumbai City FC. Ronney Kharbudon will also miss the trip after picking up an injury.

The players for New Zealand will assemble in Bengaluru on Saturday 7 November and train the following day before flying to Auckland later that night.

Acknowledging the challenge ahead for his team, Jamil pointed to the quality of the opposition and the opportunity to improve away from home.

“New Zealand is also a World Cup playing nation and a strong opponent and these two matches will be a good test for us away from home. We want to prepare well, play with discipline and use this opportunity to improve as a team,” he said.

INDIAN UNION FOR NZ FRIENDS

  • Goalkeepers: Hrithik Tiwari, Som Kumar, Vishal Kaith.
  • Defenders: Abhishek Singh Tekcham, Akash Mishra, Bijoy Varghese, Jay Gupta, Mehtab Singh, Pramveer, Ricky Meetei Haobam, Roshan Singh Naorem.
  • Midfielders: Anirudh Thapa, Ashique Kuruniyan, Jithin MS, Lalremtluanga Fanai, Lalrinliana Hnamte, Tomba Singh Haobam.
  • Forward: David Lalhlansanga, Edmund Lalrindika, Liston Colaco, Manvir Singh, Muhammad Suhail, Ryan Williams.

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