India have announced their squads for the upcoming limited-overs home series against the West Indieswith the first match scheduled for September 27. Shubman Gill will continue as ODI captain, while experienced campaigners Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli remain part of the 50-over setup. KL Rahul has been appointed vice-captain, replacing Shreyas Iyerwho led India in that role during the recent ODI assignment against England.
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli retained for ODIs
The ODI squad features a strong blend of experience and emerging talent. Alongside Gill, Rohit and Kohli, the batting group includes Ruturaj GaikwadRahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal and new call-up Plant Man. Jaiswal returns to the ODI setup after featuring in India’s Afghanistan series but missing the England one-dayers. The left-hander has been included as a backup opener, adding another option at the top of the order.
The biggest selection call comes in the wicketkeeping department. Rishabh Pant has not been included in the ODI squad, with Dhruv Jurel selected as the second wicketkeeper. Pant will instead captain Rest of India in the Iranian Cup.
The bowling attack includes Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Brar, Kuldeep Yadav and new entrant Auqib Nabi. Ravindra Jadeja also remains part of the squad, while Nitish Kumar Reddy has been withdrawn from the Asian Games to make himself available for the ODIs.
India’s ODI squad against West Indies: Shubman Gill [C]Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ruturaj Gaikwad, KL Rahul [VC]Dhruv Jurel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Brar, Mohammed Siraj, Auqib Nabi, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Naman Dhir.
Shreyas Iyer to lead T20I side
While Gill continues to captain the ODI team, Iyer will take charge of India’s T20I side against the West Indies. Tilak Varma has been named his deputy. The T20I squad includes several familiar names, including Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh and Nitish Kumar Reddy.
The selection also provides another opportunity for young sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshiwho has been included in the T20I squad. Prince Yadav and Mayank Yadav are the other notable names in the group. Ishan Kishan and Sanju Samson are the two wicketkeeping options for the T20I series, giving the selectors additional flexibility in the shorter format.
Several England tour players miss out
A number of players who were part of India’s England ODI tour have not been included in the West Indies ODI squad. Kishan, Sundar, Axar, jasprit bumrah, Harshit RanaArshdeep and Dube are among those left out of the 50-over team. Most of these players will feature in the Asian Games squad. Rana is the exception after being replaced by Yash.
Meanwhile, Varun Chakaravarthy has been ruled out of the Japan T20I and Asian Games because of a side strain. Vipraj Nigam has been named as his replacement. Iyer will captain India in the one-off T20I against Japan as well as the Asian Games campaign, which overlaps with the West Indies ODI series.
Shreyas Iyer [C]Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Ishan Kishan [WK]Sanju Samson [WK]Tilak Varma [VC]Shivam Dube, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Arshdeep Singh, Prince Yadav, Mayank Yadav.
Shreyas Iyer (C), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (WK), Ishan Kishan (WK), Shivam Dube, Tilak Varma (VC), Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Yash Thakur, Vipraj Nigam.
