Portugal Colonial - Milne returns to New Zealand squad for India T20 series

India's tour of New Zealand will include five T20s, five ODIs and two Test matches, with the opening T20 set for Christchurch on October 22.

Thirteen of the 16-strong squad were part of the New Zealand side that finished runners-up to India at the T20 World Cup in March.

"We've got a near full-strength squad that covers all bases and I'm excited to see how we compete against the current T20 world champions," Black Caps coach Walter said.

Milne, 34, last played for New Zealand more than a year ago and has amassed 56 international caps.

He missed the World Cup due to injury, as did off-spin all-rounder Michael Bracewell who also returns to the squad.

Walter confirmed Rachin Ravindra will miss the series due to an injury suffered during a promotional shoot last week, but it is hoped he might return for the ODI series.

T20 specialists Tim Seifert and Finn Allen were named in the squad, as Walter said he sought to pick the strongest team possible.

"Our priority is winning games and putting the best team on the park, but we also have to keep in mind the volume of cricket in the coming months," he said.

"We're very fortunate with the depth that we've got to call upon, so we'll look to use all 16 squad members throughout the series as we manage workloads."

New Zealand: Mitchell Santner (capt), Finn Allen, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Lockie Ferguson, Zak Foulkes, Matt Henry, Bevon Jacobs, Kyle Jamieson, Adam Milne, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Tim Seifert, Nathan Smith.

P.L.Madureira--PC