India Announce West Indies ODI Squad: Rohit-Kohli Back, Hardik-Pant Out

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are set to return to India’s ODI side, ending a two-month absence from international cricket in the 50-over format, as the BCCI on Wednesday announced the squad for the upcoming three-match home series against the West Indies.

Shubman Gill will continue as India’s ODI captain, with KL Rahul named vice-captain. The return of the two veteran batters gives the side a significant injection of experience as India begin their preparations for the 2027 ODI World Cup.

Rohit’s inclusion also settles, for now, questions over his place in India’s ODI plans. He had endured a difficult start to the England series in July, scoring 11 and 26 in the first two matches, before producing a brilliant 137 at Lord’s in the series decider. India eventually lost that match while chasing 388.

Virat Kohli will also return alongside Rohit, while Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammed Siraj make their way back into the ODI setup. Ruturaj Gaikwad, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel and Nitish Kumar Reddy are also part of the 15-member squad.

There are fresh faces too. Naman Dhir and Jammu and Kashmir pacer Auqib Nabi have received their maiden ODI call-ups, adding a new dimension to an otherwise experienced group.

One of the notable omissions is Rishabh Pant, who has not been included in either India’s ODI or T20I squad. Instead, Pant will captain the Rest of India side against Ranji Trophy champions Jammu and Kashmir in the Irani Cup. Hardik Pandya has also been left out of the India squads.

The selection has been shaped partly by the Asian Games clash, with several regular white-ball players committed to India’s T20 campaign in Japan. Shreyas Iyer will lead the T20I side, while 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has retained his place in the format.

India’s ODI series against the West Indies begins on September 27 in Thiruvananthapuram, followed by matches in Guwahati on September 30 and New Chandigarh on October 3. The five-match T20I series will begin in Lucknow on October 6 and conclude in Bengaluru on October 17.