As the Indian cricket team prepares to host the West Indies, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has put together two very different squads that highlight an intriguing mix of experience, youth and even logistical complications. With several white-ball veterans set to participate in the Asian Games T20I league in Japan, Indian cricketing fans can expect a busy year ahead.
India's ODI Leg: Rohit and Kohli Return as Legends Answer the Call
The headline-grabbing talking point of the 15-man ODI squad announcement is the recall of senior anchors, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. The opening duo took their time on the cricket field after a two-month hiatus and put all speculations about Rohit's 50-over future on hold. The veteran scored a brilliant 137 at a windswept Lord's in a 388-run chase.
The star duo of Rohit and Kohli return to the top order alongside Gill, with KL Rahul as the new vice-captain. The squad balances experience and youth with vigor and competitiveness.
India's ODI Squad:
Shubman Gill (C), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ruturaj Gaikwad, KL Rahul (VC), Dhruv Jurel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Brar, Mohammed Siraj, Auqib Nabi, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Naman Dhir.
India's T20I Squad: Shreyas Iyer is in charge of a second-line surge
As a large part of India's top white-ball players are expected to be away in the Asia Games T20 cricket tournament representing the country in Japan, a secondary but strong T20I squad will face the West Indies.
Shreyas Iyer has been named captain of this exciting group, which has explosive talents such as Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, and teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. While head coach Gautam Gambhir will remain with the ODI unit, BCCI's Center of Excellence (CoE) chief VVS Laxman will travel to Japan as head coach with the T20I side, illustrating the board's strong management pipeline.
India's T20I Squad:
Shreyas Iyer (C), Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Ishan Kishan (WK), Sanju Samson (WK), Tilak Varma (VC), Shivam Dube, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Arshdeep Singh, Prince Yadav, Mayank Yadav.
Also read: Amol Muzumdar Sends Message to Indian Women Ahead of Asian Games Gold Defense Medal
Full Series Itinerary: From Thiruvananthapuram to Bengaluru
The multi-format assignment kicks off in late September, taking the action across the length and breadth of the country in eight high-octane matches:
1st ODI: September 27 – Trivandrum (2:00 PM)
2nd ODI: September 30 – Guwahati (2:00 PM)
3rd ODI: October 3 – New Chandigarh (2:00 PM)
1st T20I: October 6 – Lucknow (7:00 PM)
2nd T20I: October 9 – Ranchi (7:00 PM)
3rd T20I: October 11 – Indore (7:00 PM)
4th T20I: October 14 – Hyderabad (7:00 PM)
5th T20I: October 17 – Bengaluru (7:00 PM)