3 Indian players who impressed the most in NZ-A vs IND-A series

India A concluded their three-match unofficial Test tour of New Zealand in 2026-27 with the series finishing 0-0, all three four-day matches ending in draws. With no team able to force a result, individual performances across the three games became the clearest measure of who contributed most.

Despite the lack of a definitive end to the series, several players stepped up at vital moments for the team, pushing a solid case for Test inclusion in the future, and putting up performances in tough conditions.

Here are three Indian players who impressed the most in NZ-A vs IND-A series:

1. Devdutt Padikkal

Devdutt Padikkal finished as the series' highest run-scorer, accumulating 326 runs across five innings at an average of 65.20, which included one century and one fifty. His most commanding effort came in the second innings of the 1st unofficial Test at Lincoln's Bert Sutcliffe Oval, where he struck 199 from 248 balls, hitting 24 fours and 3 sixes. India A had been bowled out for 113 in their first innings of that match, but Padikkal's 199 powered the side to 516 in the second innings.

In the 2nd unofficial Test at Christchurch, Padikkal added 80 from 140 balls in the first innings before falling for a duck off just one ball in the second. He also chipped in with the ball on the final day of the 1st unofficial Test, returning figures of 2/11 from 5 overs. His run with the bat adds further weight to his case for continuing at one-drop for the senior side in Test cricket.