The Indian cricket team will play its next ODI series against the West Indies in late September 2026. Seven players, including vice-captain Shreyas Iyer, wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan and senior fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah, are expected to miss this series.
Since these seven players will be out, seven new players are likely to join the ODI squad. This conflict is happening because the Asian Games 2026 and the West Indies series will take place at the same time.
How do the Asian Games 2026 and West Indies ODI series dates overlap?
The men’s cricket tournament at the Asian Games 2026 will run from September 24 to October 3, 2026. At the same time, India will play an ODI series against the West Indies from September 27 to October 3, 2026.
Since seven star players, including Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan and Jasprit Bumrah are named in the Asian Games squad, they will likely miss the West Indies series. This clash gives several other players a great chance to get selected for the ODI team.
Which main squad members will miss the West Indies series to play in the Asian Games?
Shreyas Iyer is leading India’s Asian Games squad as captain. The team also includes key players like Ishan Kishan, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Axar Patel and Washington Sundar. All seven of these players were part of the recent ODI series against England. Harshit Rana missed that series due to an injury and was replaced by Shivam Dube. Now, with the Asian Games happening at the same time, all of these players will miss the upcoming ODI series against the West Indies.
Who could replace the missing batters and all-rounders in the ODI squad?
With these seven players out, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Yashasvi Jaiswal could join the team as top-order batters. If Hardik Pandya is fit, he might replace Shivam Dube in the squad. However, Nitish Kumar Reddy is currently injured and is part of the Asian Games squad. If Reddy is not fit in time, Hardik could be added to the T20 squad instead. In that case, India might give a chance to young all-rounder Suryansh Shedge in the ODI team.
Who will take over the second wicketkeeper spot in Ishan Kishan’s absence?
Ishan Kishan was in the team as the second wicketkeeper during the England tour. Since he will play in the Asian Games, either Dhruv Jurel or Rishabh Pant could take his place as the second wicketkeeper for the West Indies series. It will be interesting to see who gets selected between the two.
What options does India have for the bowling lineup against the West Indies?
In the bowling department, Mohammed Siraj could return to the squad. Harsh Dubey might join Kuldeep Yadav as the second spinner, as he can also contribute with the bat down the order. The fast-bowling attack could include Prince Yadav, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj and Gurnoor Brar.
What is India’s probable ODI squad for the West Indies series?
Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill (Captain), Virat Kohli, Ruturaj Gaikwad, KL Rahul (Wicketkeeper), Dhruv Jurel / Rishabh Pant (Wicketkeeper), Hardik Pandya, Harsh Dubey, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Brar, Prince Yadav, Kuldeep Yadav, Suryansh Shedge, Yashasvi Jaiswal.
India’s T20 squad chosen for the Asian Games 2026:
Shreyas Iyer (Captain), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Shivam Dube, Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Jasprit Bumrah.
Schedule for the India vs West Indies ODI Series:
- 1st ODI: September 27, 2026 – Thiruvananthapuram (2:00 PM IST)
- 2nd ODI: September 30, 2026 – Guwahati (2:00 PM IST)
- 3rd ODI: October 3, 2026 – New Chandigarh (2:00 PM IST)