The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced the India’s T20 International (T20I) squad for the upcoming tour of West Indies. The announcement comes ahead of the much-anticipated multi-format series between the two cricketing nations, set to commence on July 12.
Yashasvi Jaiswal and Tilak Varma, both left-handed batters, have earned their spots in the 15-member squad due to their impressive performances in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Jaiswal, known for his explosive powerplay batting, has made a name for himself by dismantling opposition bowlers in the early overs. Varma, on the other hand, has been in fine form and boasts an impressive T20 average of nearly 40 from 47 matches, while maintaining a healthy strike rate of 142.54.
Hardik Pandya will lead the side during the West Indies tour, with Suryakumar Yadav serving as his deputy. However, some notable absentees from the squad include Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who have not represented India in T20Is since the team’s semi-final exit at the 2022 T20 World Cup. Another absentee is Ravindra Jadeja, the star performer in the 2023 IPL final. Additionally, fast bowler Mohammed Siraj has also not been included in the squad.
The newly appointed men’s senior selection panel has emphasized the importance of aggressive batting from the outset, as demonstrated by the inclusion of Jaiswal and Varma. The team management aims to have batsmen who can score big from the very first ball of the innings. The wicketkeeping duties for the T20I series will be shared between Ishan Kishan and Sanju Samson, with the latter also being a part of the ODI squad.
India T20I squad for West Indies tour: Ishan Kishan (wk), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (vice-capt), Sanju Samson (wk), Hardik Pandya (capt), Axar Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik, Avesh Khan, Mukesh Kumar.
