Ravindra Jadeja will serve as the vice-captain for India’s two-Test series against West Indies. This is his first time in the role for Tests, although he has been vice-captain in ODIs and T20Is previously.
Shubman Gill to Lead
Shubman Gill will captain India in his second Test series, having debuted as captain in England earlier this year. Meanwhile, Rishabh Pant, who served as vice-captain on the England tour, is unavailable due to a foot fracture sustained in the fourth Test. He is currently recovering at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru.
Additionally, India have named two wicketkeepers: Dhruv Jurel and N Jagadeesan, with Jurel expected to be the first-choice keeper.
Fast Bowler Update
Despite a tight schedule, Jasprit Bumrah is part of the squad. The first Test begins on October 2 in Ahmedabad, only three days after the Asia Cup final on September 28 in Dubai.
Ajit Agarkar, chairman of selectors, said, “This team has been picked for both the Tests, so he’s available for both. We’ve had a fair break after England. Even this tournament [Asia Cup] has been fairly spaced out. So no, he’s ready and keen to play both Test matches.”
Squad Changes
From the England tour squad, several players have been left out, including Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Akash Deep, Anshul Kamboj, Arshdeep Singh, Shardul Thakur, and Pant.
Moreover, Abhimanyu, Akash Deep, and Kamboj will play in the Irani Cup against Vidarbha from October 1 in Nagpur. Akash Deep recently recovered from a minor injury at the CoE.
In contrast, new inclusions are Axar Patel, Devdutt Padikkal, and N Jagadeesan, who were brought in after Pant’s injury.
On Karun Nair’s exclusion, Agarkar explained, “We expected more from Karun. Padikkal offers a little bit more at this point. Padikkal was in the Test squad in Australia, played against England in Dharamsala, got a fifty there. He’s shown decent form. Frankly, we expected a bit more from Karun.”
Meanwhile, Sarfaraz Khan, another potential replacement, is recovering from an injury.
Spin and Pace Strategy
As spin is expected to play a key role at home, India have named three spin-bowling allrounders: Jadeja, Washington Sundar, and Axar Patel, along with Kuldeep Yadav.
Furthermore, the fast-bowling department includes Nitish Kumar Reddy as an allrounder, and Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and Prasidh Krishna as the frontline pacers.
World Test Championship Context
Looking ahead, India’s two Tests against West Indies will be played on October 2 in Ahmedabad and October 10 in Delhi. This marks India’s second series of the 2025–27 World Test Championship (WTC) cycle.
Previously, India began the cycle with the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy in England, drawing the five-Test series 2–2. India currently have 28 out of 60 points, or 46.67%, placing them third in the WTC standings. Meanwhile, Australia leads with 100%, followed by Sri Lanka at 66.67%. In contrast, West Indies have 0% points after losing three Tests to Australia.
India Squad for West Indies Tests
Shubman Gill (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, B Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Ravindra Jadeja (vc), Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Axar Patel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Kuldeep Yadav, N Jagadeesan (wk)