IND vs NZ 2026: Ajinkya Rahane looking forward to Shreyas Iyer's return to T20I squad

Veteran Indian batter Ajinkya Rahane has spoken about India’s T20I preparations ahead of the home series against New Zealand and the T20 World Cup, identifying Shreyas Iyer’s return to the squad as a major positive while also expressing concern over skipper Suryakumar Yadav’s recent struggles with the bat.

Iyer has been drafted back into the T20I setup after a prolonged absence, with his recall coming following Tilak Varma sustaining an injury during domestic cricket. Iyer last featured in a T20I in December 2023 during the home series against Australia, where he played in the latter half of the rubber after a stellar ODI World Cup campaign. Rahane listed three aspects he is particularly keen to see during the New Zealand series, placing emphasis on Iyer’s comeback alongside other key batting positions.

“The three things that stand out to me ahead of this series are Surya’s batting, he has not been in form, and I am looking forward to Suryakumar Yadav coming into form just before the World Cup. Then it is Sanju Samson, I am really excited to see him back, and opening the batting with Abhishek Sharma. Then there is Shreyas Iyer’s return as well, he has been doing well in the IPL, in the last couple of seasons,” Ajinkya Rahane said on Cricbuzz.

The right-handed batter was also overlooked for the 2024 T20 World Cup despite leading Kolkata Knight Riders to the Indian Premier League title that year. His wait continued even after a standout IPL 2025 campaign, where he enjoyed his best-ever season, scoring 604 runs at an average of 50.33 and a strike rate of 175.07 for Punjab Kings. 

Iyer finished as the sixth-highest run-scorer and struck the most sixes by an Indian batter during the 2025 season of the cash-rich tournament, while also leading the Punjab-based franchise to the grand finale. The right-hander returned to competitive cricket following his return from a rib injury sustained on the Australia tour.

SKY putting too much pressure on himself, Rahane believes

Meanwhile, the former India captain also addressed concerns surrounding current T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav’s form in the shortest format of the game. Despite India’s overall strong run in the format ahead of the 2026 T20 World Cup, the Indian skipper endured a difficult 2025, managing just 218 runs in 21 matches at an average of 13.63 and a strike rate of 123.16.

“For Surya’s ability, those numbers are pretty low. I think he is putting too much pressure on himself as a batter and trying to do too many things. His attitude and intensity on the field has been fantastic. If he bats for a long period of time, he will do well, and if Surya does well, India will do really well,” Rahane added.

Despite his recent struggles, Suryakumar Yadav has a strong record against New Zealand in T20Is, scoring 284 runs in eight matches at an average of 47.33, including a century at Mount Maunganui in 2022. India and New Zealand will square off on 21st January in Nagpur.