The BCCI on Wednesday announced the T20 squad for the upcoming 5-match West Indies series with Mumbai Indians batter Tilak Varma getting his maiden call up in the Indian team.
Leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi also made comeback into the team which will be led by captain Hardik Pandya with Suryakumar Yadav in as his deputy. Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, however, have not been included in the squad.
Varma has been a notable member of the Mumbai Indians side for the past two seasons and with a strike-rate of 142-plus in 47 games, batting at No 5 has obviously attracted the national selection panel’s, led by Ajit Agarkar, attention.
While KKR left-hander Rinku Singh has missed out, it was more about not having a slot at the same position, considering there will be Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya and Sanju Samson also in the middle-order.
Yashasvi Jaiswal, who is set to make his Test debut next week, is also a part of the T20 squad after a stupendous IPL
Two players who have made international comebacks are pacer Avesh Khan and the aforementioned Bishnoi.
The team has three wrist spinners with Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal also being part of the 15-member squad.
India’s T20I squad: Ishan Kishan (wk), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Varma, Surya Kumar Yadav (VC), Sanju Samson (wk), Hardik Pandya (C), Axar Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik, Avesh Khan, Mukesh Kumar.
T20 series schedule
1st T20I: August 3, Brian Lara Stadium, Trinidad
2nd T20I: August 6, Providence Stadium, Guyana
3rd T20I: August 8, Providence Stadium, Guyana
4th T20I: August 12, Central Broward Regional Park Stadium, Lauderhill, Florida
5th T20I: August 13, Central Broward Regional Park Stadium, Lauderhill, Florida
3rd ODI (D/N), Pallekele, 19 Nov 2024
3rd T20I (N), Hobart, 18 Nov 2024
2nd ODI (D/N), Pallekele, 17 Nov 2024
5th T20I (D/N), Gros Islet, 17 Nov 2024