The BCCI has announced the Indian team for the two-Test series against the West Indies, starting October 2.
Shubman Gill will remain the captain, while Ravindra Jadeja has been named the new vice-captain. Rishabh Pant will be out of the squad due to injury.
Fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah has been included in the squad despite fitness concerns, but Karun Nair has been dropped due to poor form.
Jadeja becomes vice-captain, major decision on Bumrah
Following Pant’s exclusion, the selectors have appointed Jadeja as vice-captain.
Selection committee chief Ajit Agarkar said, “Rishabh Pant is not fit for the West Indies series; hopefully, he will be available for the home Tests against South Africa.”
There was considerable discussion about Bumrah’s workload, but he was included in the squad.
Agarkar said, “We want him (Jasprit Bumrah) to perform well. He is outstanding, but we need to be careful. But the team comes first.”
Dhruv Jurel and N. Jagadeesan have been selected as wicketkeepers, with Jurel likely to be the first choice.
Agarkar praised Jurel, saying, “Dhruv Jurel has plenty of potential.”
Karun Nair out, Padikkal returns
Karun Nair was dropped from the team due to his poor performance on the England tour. Devdutt Padikkal, who recently scored a century against Australia A, has been selected in his place.
Agarkar said, “We expected more from Karun Nair. It can’t be just one innings. Padikkal offers more.”
Sai Sudharsan also cemented his place with a 75-run knock against Australia A. Ishan Kishan also missed out on the team.
Agarkar said, “Ishaan wasn’t fit when we picked India A. Jagadeesan was there. Ishaan needs to play more and perform.”
Shreyas Iyer has taken a six-month break from red-ball cricket, so he was also not selected.
The team includes players like Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Nitish Reddy, Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, and Prasidh Krishna.
The first Test will be played in Ahmedabad from October 2 to 6, while the second Test will be played in Delhi from October 10 to 14.
India is ranked third in the World Test Championship and every point is crucial for them.
