India Face Selection Puzzle as Asian Games Clash with WI ODIs

A rare scenario is unfolding in Indian cricket as the T20I and ODI squads operate in two different parts of the world almost simultaneously. The T20I squad, led by Shreyas Iyer, is in Japan for the Asian Games, while the ODI team prepares for a home series against the West Indies.

The Schedule Clash

• Sept 27: First ODI vs West Indies (Thiruvananthapuram).
• Sept 28: India’s T20I Quarter-Final (Aichi-Nagoya).
• Sept 30: Second ODI vs West Indies (Guwahati).
• Oct 1: Asian Games Semi-Final.
• Oct 3: Third ODI vs West Indies coincides with the Asian Games Gold and Bronze medal matches.

Selection Decisions
The concurrent schedule offers selectors a chance to experiment ahead of next year’s World Cup. The T20I squad includes six players from the recent ODI tour of the UK: Jasprit Bumrah, Axar Patel, Shivam Dube, Arshdeep Singh, Ishan Kishan, and captain Shreyas Iyer.

• Wicketkeeping: With Ishan Kishan in Japan, Rishabh Pant is in contention for the second keeper slot behind KL Rahul. Pant, who has been out of the ODI fold recently, faces competition from Dhruv Jurel.
• Top Order: Ruturaj Gaikwad, who scored a century in his last ODI (Dec 2025 vs South Africa), could replace Iyer, despite being named captain of the India A squad. Yashasvi Jaiswal, who was left out of the UK tour, is also expected to be tried.
• All-Rounders & Bowlers: Ravindra Jadeja may replace Axar Patel. Mohammed Siraj and Mayank Yadav or Ashok Sharma could take the spots of Bumrah and Arshdeep, joining Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Brar, and Prince Yadav in the attack.
• Hardik Pandya: The all-rounder is unavailable for the series starting Sept 27 as he is a conditional pick for the India A series against Australia starting Oct 6.

Key Returns
Despite the absence of several stars, the series will feature the return of the "Ro-Ko" duo (Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli) and India’s Test and ODI captain, Shubman Gill.