Mumbai, July 14: India on Thursday announced an 18-man squad for the T20I series against West Indies, beginning on July 29 in Trinidad with big names – Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah and Yuzvendra Chahal – missing out.
Kohli, who was out of the 1st ODI against England with a groin injury, has not been included for the T20Is in the Caribbean as well. However, BCCI in its official release hasn’t mentioned whether he has been rested or not picked due to injury. On the other hand, the names of pacer Bumrah and leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal are also missing in the squad.
The squad will be led by Rohit Sharma while KL Rahul and Kuldeep Yadav, who had missed the home series against South Africa due to respective injuries, have made their comeback. However, their inclusion in the squad is subject to fitness.
“The inclusion of KL Rahul and Kuldeep Yadav is subject to fitness,” a BCCI release said.
Meanwhile, Hardik Pandya and Rishabh Pant, who have been rested from the ODI leg, will play the T20Is. The squad also sees the return of veteran off-spinner R Ashwin, who hasn’t featured in India’s T20I side since the home series against New Zealand last November.
After a long hiatus from the white ball group, Ashwin had made a comeback in the T20I World Cup last year but has not been a regular fixture in the side since, with injuries also playing a part in his exclusion His return will boost the spin department that has Kuldeep, Ravi Bishnoi, Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja.
IPL sensation Umran Malik, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Sanju Samson, who were a part of India’s squad for the first T20I against England, don’t find a place in the squad. The selectors have rewarded left-arm seamer Arshdeep Singh after his impressive debut, including him in the seam bowling department along with Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Avesh Khan and Harshal Patel.
India are set to play three ODIs and five T20Is on the tour of the Caribbean. India had earlier named an ODI squad, which will be led by Shikhar Dhawan in absence of regular members.
India Squad
Rohit Sharma (Captain), Ishan Kishan, KL Rahul, Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda, Shreyas Iyer, Dinesh Karthik, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, R Ashwin, Ravi Bishnoi, Kuldeep Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Avesh Khan, Harshal Patel, Arshdeep Singh. (IANS)
