Mumbai: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced the Indian squad for the upcoming two-match Test series against the West Indies, starting October 2.
Shubman Gill will captain the side for the first time in a home series, with Ravindra Jadeja named vice-captain. The series kicks off at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium, followed by the second Test in Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium from October 10.
Notable exclusions include Karun Nair and Akash Deep, with Nair struggling in the recent England series. Sarfaraz Khan also misses out, while Devdutt Padikkal and Axar Patel make a comeback. With Rishabh Pant sidelined due to injury, Narayan Jagadeesan steps in as the wicketkeeper. The squad features a balanced mix of youth and experience, including Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Jasprit Bumrah, and Mohammed Siraj.
West Indies, led by Roston Chase, include players like Kieron Anderson and Alzarri Joseph. Coach Darren Sammy hinted at a bold approach, citing New Zealand’s recent success in India as inspiration.
Historically, India has registered 23 wins in 100 Tests against the West Indies’ 30, securing victory in the last nine series, including three clean sweeps in the past five.
Squad: Shubman Gill (C), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Devdutt Padikkal, Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja (VC), Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Axar Patel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Kuldeep Yadav, Narayan Jagadeesan.