Rohit Sharma Retained, Auqib Nabi Earns Maiden Call-Up in India’s ODI Squad for West Indies Series

India have announced their 15-member ODI squad for the upcoming three-match series against.

The West Indies, with Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli continuing in the team under captain Shubman Gill. KL Rahul has been appointed vice-captain, while Punjab all-rounder Naman Dhir and Jammu & Kashmir pacer Auqib Nabi have received their maiden ODI call-ups.

The ODI series will begin in Thiruvananthapuram on September 27, followed by matches in Guwahati on September 30 and New Chandigarh on October 3. Gill will continue to lead the side after taking over as India’s ODI captain.

Rohit’s inclusion ends weeks of uncertainty over his ODI future. The former India captain remains in the squad after producing a century against England at Lord’s in July. Kohli will also continue to be part of the ODI setup.

Hardik Pandya, Rishabh Pant Left Out

Hardik Pandya has not been included in the ODI squad despite being scheduled to return to competitive cricket later this month. He has been selected for India A’s three-match one-day series against Australia A in Puducherry, beginning October 6.

Hardik is expected to return to action on September 20. The selectors are keen to assess whether he can handle the workload of an ODI all-rounder, particularly his ability to bowl 10 overs and contribute throughout a 50-over match.

With Hardik unavailable, India have added Nitish Kumar Reddy as another seam-bowling all-round option. Reddy has been withdrawn from India’s Asian Games squad and included in the ODI team for the West Indies series.

Rishabh Pant has also been omitted from the ODI squad. He will captain the Rest of India team against Ranji Trophy champions Jammu & Kashmir in the Irani Cup.

Ravindra Jadeja returns to the ODI side, bringing additional experience as India manage the absence of several regular white-ball players involved in the Asian Games.

Naman Dhir and Auqib Nabi Get First ODI Call-Ups

Naman Dhir has earned his first senior ODI call-up following impressive performances in domestic cricket for Punjab and in the IPL with Mumbai Indians. He provides another all-round option to the squad.

Jammu & Kashmir seamer Auqib Nabi has also received his maiden call-up to India’s senior ODI team. His performances in English county cricket with Surrey have earned him an opportunity at the international level.

Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna and Gurnoor Brar are the other specialist fast bowlers in the squad, while Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav provide the spin options.

Ruturaj Gaikwad is expected to occupy the No. 4 position in the absence of Shreyas Iyer, who will captain India’s T20I team at the Asian Games. Yashasvi Jaiswal has been named as the reserve opener, while Dhruv Jurel is the second wicketkeeping option behind KL Rahul.

West Indies Tour Schedule

The West Indies tour will feature three ODIs and five T20Is. The ODI series starts in Thiruvananthapuram on September 27, with the second match in Guwahati on September 30 and the final ODI in New Chandigarh on October 3.

The final ODI will take place on the same day as the medal matches at the Asian Games, contributing to the selection changes caused by India’s participation in the continental event.

The five-match T20I series will begin in Lucknow on October 6, followed by matches in Ranchi on October 9, Indore on October 11, Hyderabad on October 14 and Bengaluru on October 17.

Shreyas Iyer will lead the T20I side, with Tilak Varma serving as vice-captain. Mayank Yadav and Prince Yadav have been included in place of Yash Thakur and Vipraj Nigam.

India ODI Squad vs West Indies

Shubman Gill (captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ruturaj Gaikwad, KL Rahul (vice-captain), Dhruv Jurel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Brar, Mohammed Siraj, Auqib Nabi, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Naman Dhir.