Jasprit Bumrah rested, Hardik Pandya out for Wellington T20I

Jasprit Bumrah has been rested for the third T20I against New Zealand in Wellington, while Hardik Pandya remains sidelined after a long injury layoff, according to PTI.

India lead the five-match series 2-0 and can seal it on Tuesday, 27 October, at Hnry Stadium, also known as Sky Stadium. Shreyas Iyer is captain and Tilak Varma vice-captain in the squad named for the match, which does not include Bumrah.

What the sources say on the absences

Bumrah’s absence is described as a rest, not an injury. Pandya’s is linked to a long layoff through injury. The sources do not say how long Pandya will be out, nor do they name a replacement for either player.

Whether Pandya misses the remaining games is also not stated. India’s remaining fixtures after Wellington are the fourth T20I in Auckland on 30 October and the fifth in Hamilton on 1 November.

Series position and conditions

India won the first T20I on 22 October by 4 wickets, chasing down New Zealand’s 225/4 with 230/6 in 19.4 overs. They repeated the margin on 24 October, reaching 181/6 in 19.5 overs after New Zealand made 180/5.

Tilak Varma has been a central figure. He has scored at a strike rate of 76 against spin in the series, compared with 220 against pace, according to a preview in The Tribune.

Previews describe Wellington as a windy venue with square boundaries of around 60 metres. The toss is scheduled for 12:00 pm IST.

What’s next

The third T20I is listed to start at 12:30 PM IST. A win would give India an unbeatable 3-0 lead with two games still to play. The fourth T20I is on Friday, 30 October, and the fifth on Sunday, 1 November, both at 12:30 PM IST.