The crucial series decider is scheduled to take place in Bengaluru on Saturday.
The BCCI's Men's Selection Committee has added veteran pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar to India's T20I squad for the fifth and final match against the West Indies.
The crucial series decider is scheduled to take place at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Saturday (October 17).
Bhuvneshwar’s sudden inclusion comes after left-arm quick Arshdeep Singh sustained a painful blow near his left upper arm and bowling shoulder after being struck by a quick, short-pitched delivery from West Indies fast bowler Shamar Joseph during the fourth T20I in Hyderabad.
Due to visible discomfort and severe pain, Arshdeep was forced to retire hurt on 5 off 4 balls. The West Indies subsequently won the match by 24 runs, leveling the five-match series at 2-2.
Bhuvneshwar—who had already been recalled to the T20I setup for the upcoming tour of New Zealand following a highly successful IPL 2026 season—was drafted into the squad early as immediate cover.
“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,” BCCI said in a media release.
It remains to be seen if Bhuvneshwar Kumar features in India’s XI for the series decider. His last appearance for the country was in November 2022.
India’s updated T20I squad: 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, Bhuvneshwar Kumar.