India has unveiled its 15-member squad for the much-anticipated two-Test series against West Indies. In a significant move, Ravindra Jadeja has been appointed as the vice-captain, a role that underscores his growing influence and importance within the team. As anticipated by many, Karun Nair was not included in the lineup, while promising young talent Devdutt Padikkal secured a spot in the squad.
Chief selector Ajit Agarkar addressed the media in Dubai, explaining the rationale behind some of the selections. Regarding Karun Nair’s exclusion, Agarkar stated, “Unfortunately, we can’t give everyone 15-20 Test matches. We had expected more from Karun in the England Test series.” This candid remark sheds light on the high expectations placed on players at this level.
Here’s a look at the full Indian Test squad set to face West Indies: Shubman Gill (captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal, Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja (vice-captain), Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Axar Patel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, N Jagadeesan, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, and Kuldeep Yadav.
This upcoming series is particularly significant as it marks Shubman Gill’s inaugural home campaign as India’s Test captain. He previously led the team to a hard-fought 2-2 draw against England. More broadly, it kicks off India’s journey in the 2025-2027 World Test Championship cycle.
Cricket fans can mark their calendars: the opening Test match against West Indies will commence on October 2 at the iconic Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The second Test is scheduled to begin on October 10 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi.
Meanwhile, the West Indies squad, led by Roston Chase, was set to arrive in Ahmedabad on September 24 to begin a crucial training camp in preparation for the first Test.
For the West Indies, this series marks their second assignment in the new ICC World Test Championship cycle, following their home encounters against Australia earlier in June-July. A particularly noteworthy addition to their squad is left-arm spinner Khary Pierre, who receives his maiden Test call-up.
The 33-year-old Pierre’s inclusion is a testament to his stellar performance in the recent West Indies Championship, where he led the wicket charts with an impressive 41 wickets at an average of 13.56. Adding to the legacy, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, son of legendary West Indian batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul, also features in the squad.
The squad selection meeting was conducted online, as chief selector Ajit Agarkar was in the UAE for the Asia Cup. This significant selection process also marked the final involvement for two committee members, S. Sharath and Subroto Banerjee.
Their replacements, Pragyan Ojha (representing the South Zone) and R.P. Singh (from the Central Zone), were officially appointed during the BCCI AGM on September 28.
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