A white-ball lifeline for Rishabh Pant and a possible inclusion of a fit-again Hardik Pandya will be the focal points of discussion when the national selectors pick the ODI and T20I squads for the home series against West Indies on Wednesday. India will play three ODIs and five T20Is against the West Indies. the selection committee led by Ajit Agarkar does have a job at hand to pick the 50-over squad from the options available While the T20I squad is expected to be a mirror image of the Asian Games squad with the matches starting from October 6.
Rahul is also likely to be Shubman Gill’s deputy in absence of Shreyas Iyer. In case Pant misses the bus, then selectors will go for Dhruv Jurel and send Pant to lead Rest of India in the Irani Cup. Pandya’s scheduled return to competitive cricket is September 20 as he has already been picked for India A’s three-match One Day series against Australia A in Puducherry from October 6. However, the West Indies ODIs start in Thiruvananthapuram from September 27 and it will be up to the selection panel to decide whether Pandya is ready to bowl 10 overs and field for 50 overs straightaway in a full international game. Pant’s indifferent IPL form saw him lose Test vice-captaincy and also a place in the white-ball sides but with Ishan Kishan in Japan, the flamboyant southpaw might just get a look-in in the squad of 15, with KL Rahul being the first-choice ODI keeper.
Incidentally, Agarkar, who will be in Delhi for the team selection meeting, is likely to have a discussion with “decision makers” in the board on whether he will be given extension till the end of the 2027 ODI World Cup.
