Washington Sundar removed from India's T20I squad for West Indies series, Naman Dhir named replacement

The BCCI announced on Thursday, October 1, that Washington Sundar has been withdrawn from India's T20I squad for the ongoing West Indies tour of India. Naman Dhir has been named as his replacement in the fifteen-member group led by Shreyas Iyer.

The board's decision is directly linked to the upcoming Test series against New Zealand. Sundar has been directed to return to domestic cricket, with the Ranji Trophy season scheduled to begin on October 11, giving him the opportunity to accumulate red-ball match practice ahead of the Test assignment.

In a separate development also confirmed on October 1, Prasidh Krishna has been ruled out of the third ODI after sustaining a left hamstring injury during the second ODI in Guwahati. Anshul Kamboj has been called up as his replacement for the third ODI, which is scheduled to be held in Chandigarh. West Indies are touring India for a series of three ODIs and five T20Is running from September 27 to October 17.

Why has the BCCI withdrawn Washington Sundar from the T20I squad?

The BCCI's primary rationale for pulling Sundar out of the T20I squad is workload management ahead of the Test series against New Zealand. By releasing him before the five-match T20I leg of the West Indies tour, the board ensures he can feature in Ranji Trophy matches from October 11 onwards.

Red-ball form and rhythm are considered essential preparation for Test cricket, and the board has chosen to prioritise that over his continued involvement in the shorter format at this stage of the calendar. The move reflects a broader BCCI approach of managing key players across formats rather than allowing them to play through an entire multi-format tour when a Test series is imminent.

What does Prasidh Krishna's injury mean for India's ODI squad?

Prasidh Krishna's left hamstring injury, sustained during the second ODI in Guwahati, has forced the selectors to make an unplanned change to the ODI squad ahead of the series decider in Chandigarh. Anshul Kamboj has been drafted in as cover for the third match. Notably, Naman Dhir features in both the revised ODI squad and the updated T20I squad, making him one of the more prominent inclusions across formats during this West Indies tour. The updated ODI group includes Shubman Gill as captain, with Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul also part of the fifteen-member side alongside Kamboj and Dhir.

India full squad for West Indies T20I series 2026

Shreyas Iyer [C], Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Ishan Kishan [WK], Sanju Samson [WK], Tilak Varma [VC], Shivam Dube, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Arshdeep Singh, Prince Yadav, Mayank Yadav, Naman Dhir

[Inputs: BCCI]