New Delhi, Sept 25: The BCCI has announced India’s 15-member squad for the two-match home Test series against West Indies starting October 2. With Rishabh Pant sidelined due to a fracture, Ravindra Jadeja has been named vice-captain, while Shubman Gill continues as skipper.
Star pacer Jasprit Bumrah has been included despite ongoing workload concerns, with chief selector Ajit Agarkar stressing the need for careful management. Batter Karun Nair has been dropped after poor form in England, while Devdutt Padikkal returns to the Test side. Sarfaraz Khan also misses out due to injury.
The squad includes two specialist wicketkeepers — Dhruv Jurel, who is likely to be first choice, and N. Jagadeesan, with Ishan Kishan overlooked. Youngster Sai Sudharsan retains his place, while Nitish Kumar Reddy returns after missing the England tour. Agarkar praised Jurel’s potential and highlighted Sudharsan’s promising form.
India are currently third in the World Test Championship points table with 46.67 percentage points. With every point crucial, selectors have chosen to retain the core group from the England series. The Tests will be played in Ahmedabad (Oct 2–6) and Delhi (Oct 10–14).
