The selectors have made a major move by leaving out former India captain Virat Kohli. At the same time, the likes of KL Rahul and Kuldeep Yadav have returned to the squad but their availability depends upon their fitness
The BCCI on Thursday announced an 18-man squad for the 5-match T20I series against West Indies, beginning July 29 in Trinidad. While Rohit Sharma will return to lead the side after being rested for the ODIs, former captain Virat Kohli is believed to have been given rest once again, ahead of the Asia Cup starting in August in Sri Lanka. Besides Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah and Yuzvendra Chahal are the other notable exclusions.
At the same time, the likes of Ravichandran Ashwin, KL Rahul, and Kuldeep Yadav have returned to the squad. Ashwin is back into the Indian T20 setup after a hiatus of more than six months. He last featured in the game against South Africa in Paarl which the Men in Blue lost by 7 wickets.
On the other hand, the inclusion of Rahul and Kuldeep is subject to their fitness, stated the BCCI.
The squad comprises a fast-bowing all-rounder in Hardik Pandya who has been in great nick lately. Apart from him, Axar Patel continues to be a part of the mix, along with Ravindra Jadeja.
The selectors have also rested wrist spinner Yuzvendra Chahal who is currently touring England with the Indian team. Youngster Ravi Bishnoi finds a place to share the leg-spin responsibilities with senior Kuldeep Yadav.
The pace attack will be led by veteran Bhuvneshwar Kumar. The right-arm quick did an exceptional job in the England T20Is and went on to bag the ‘Player of the Series’ award. He will be backed by the likes of Avesh Khan, Harshal Patel, and left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh. Meanwhile, young pace sensation Umran Malik, who made his debut last month in Ireland, could find a place in the squad.
India squad for West Indies T20Is:
Rohit Sharma (C), Ishan Kishan, KL Rahul, Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda, Shreyas Iyer, Dinesh Karthik, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravi Bishnoi, Kuldeep Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Avesh Khan, Harshal Patel, Arshdeep Singh.
The BCCI release didn’t mention the reason behind the exclusion of Kohli. However, it’s speculated that the former captain has been rested as he had asked for a break. It’s going to be the second time in the past couple of months that he has been offered rest. He did not feature in the home T20I series between India and South Africa, which took place after the conclusion of the IPL. He was also rested for the opening T20I against England in Southampton, after the rescheduled fifth Test.
