When the Board of Control for Cricket in India announced the Indian Test squad for the upcoming two-match Test series against New Zealand, the most shocking development was the omission of young left-arm spinner Manav Suthar. The bowler from Rajasthan was shown the exit door from the 15-member squad, despite having delivered phenomenal performances for India recently and emerging as a vital prospect. Manav Suthar made his Test debut against Afghanistan in June of this year and immediately followed it up by being a core part of the playing-11 in both Test matches during the Sri Lanka tour. Such a stellar start and sensational statistics have left fans astonished as to why Suthar failed to find a place even in the squad, especially when he was earnestly preparing for this crucial tour.
Upon stepping into international Test cricket, Manav Suthar cast such a magical spell with his spin bowling that he began to be viewed as a first-choice spinner for the future. 35. His stellar performances had even put pressure on established veterans like Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav regarding selection dynamics, while however, Ravindra Jadeja's exceptional batting prowess in Test cricket and his ability to provide crucial stability in the lower order ultimately weighed heavy in favor of maintaining team balance, working against Manav Suthar in the team combination equation.
The primary reason behind dropping Suthar isn't attributed to any technical flaw or a dip in his form, but rather the challenging playing conditions in New Zealand. Against Asian teams, New Zealand traditionally prepares lush green, fast, and bouncy green-top pitches. In such conditions heavily favoring fast bowling, the Indian team is unlikely to accommodate more than one spinner in the playing-11. When a team is forced to step onto the field with only a single spinner, the team management naturally prioritizes an experienced all-rounder, which made it extremely difficult for Manav Suthar to secure a spot in the squad, although he had earlier left his mark while playing county cricket in England as well.
Interestingly, Manav Suthar was leaving no stone unturned in his preparations for this specific tour. Recently, during the Ranji Trophy 2026-27 season, while speaking in an interaction with The Indian Express, Suthar had openly revealed his special preparations targeted at the New Zealand tour. Suthar had stated that he was mentally preparing himself for the kinds of pitches they're likely to encounter in New Zealand and trying to understand which bowling line and pace would be most suitable for him over there. He further explained that he was watching videos of old matches to gauge the behavior of those pitches. His entire focus was locked on maintaining consistency, as he tried to figure out the best length according to the pitch and practiced landing the ball approximately 4 to 5 meters away from the batsman. However, the mathematics of match conditions and team combinations have temporarily kept this promising young player away from the Test team.