Batsman Shreyas Iyer and pace bowler Mohammed Siraj have been included in India’s squad for the three-match T20I series against New Zealand which starts on 1 November.
Both players have not played international cricket as yet but are regulars in the India A team with Iyer in prolific form with the bat.
MSK Prasad, India’s chairman of selectors, said: “Shreyas Iyer has been prolific in all forms of the game, be it day’s format, be it one-day or T20 or IPL, you name anything he has been performing.
“We will sit with this policy that if we pick a player, we will give him an extended rope, and we will continue with him and nurture him and see that he goes on to become successful.
“So is [the case] with Siraj. He is doing well, he has been duly recognised and rewarded as well.”
Veteran left-arm paceman Ashish Nehra has been picked only for the first T20I, which is slated to be his last match after he announced his retirement.
However Prasad insists that Nehra’s selection does not guarantee that he will play.
Prasad continued: “We can’t say that [if he will surely play in the Delhi T20I]. Whether he is going to play or not, it is clearly the team management and the selector on call, whoever it is. The think tank involved will be taking a call.
“There is no assurance from our side that he’s going to play or not. It will be decided on that particular day.”
India T20I squad: Virat Kohli (capt), Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Manish Pandey, Shreyas Iyer, Dinesh Karthik, MS Dhoni, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Ashish Nehra (only for first T20I)
