The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has added veteran pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar to India’s squad for the fifth and final T20I against the West Indies after Arshdeep Singh sustained a blow to his bowling shoulder during the fourth match of the series.
The BCCI confirmed the squad change in an official statement, announcing Bhuvneshwar’s inclusion for the fifth T20I against the West Indies. Arshdeep sustained the injury during the fourth T20I in Hyderabad on Wednesday, according to the BCCI. “Bhuvneshwar Kumar was added to the squad after Arshdeep Singh sustained a blow to his bowling shoulder during the fourth T20I of the series against West Indies on Wednesday in Hyderabad.
A decision on his participation for the final T20I will be taken prior to the game based on his recovery,” the board stated. The team management will assess Arshdeep’s fitness before determining his availability for the Bengaluru fixture. The experienced swing bowler was also named in India’s squad for the New Zealand T20I series. His addition to the squad for the West Indies decider provides India with another experienced pace option ahead of the team’s upcoming assignment.
The series decider will be played at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Saturday, October 17, 2026. The Men’s Selection Committee confirmed Bhuvneshwar’s inclusion in the squad on Friday, October 16. India will head into the final match with the five-game series level at 2-2, making Saturday’s contest decisive. Bhuvneshwar’s inclusion comes ahead of India’s upcoming tour of New Zealand, where the team is scheduled to play five T20Is beginning October 22.
However, the left-arm pacer has not been ruled out of the final match, with a decision on his participation to be taken before the game based on his recovery.
