India have suffered a setback as pacer Arshdeep Singh has sustained a blow to his bowling shoulder ahead of the fifth and final T20I against West Indies in Bengaluru on Saturday.
As a result, Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been included in the squad for the series decider. Saturday’s match will be a winner-takes-all affair with the series level at 2-2.
“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,” the BCCI said via an official press release on Friday.
Arshdeep’s fitness will be a key consideration for India as they prepare for a must-win contest against the West Indies.
How Arshdeep suffered the injury
The fourth T20I saw West Indies level the series with a 24-run victory in Hyderabad. The visitors posted 247/3 in 20 overs before bowling India out for 223 in 19.3 overs, despite contributions from the hosts’ batters.
Arshdeep was struck on the shoulder by a short-pitched delivery from West Indies fast bowler Shamar Joseph during India’s chase.
The incident occurred in the final over of the innings, raising concerns about his availability for the Bengaluru fixture.
Bhuvneshwar’s possible return
Bhuvneshwar’s inclusion provides India with an experienced pace option ahead of the decisive match.
Known for his ability to swing the new ball and deliver at the death, the right-arm seamer has represented India across all three international formats.
The possible return also comes after a lengthy absence from international cricket. Bhuvneshwar last represented India in November 2022, in a T20I against New Zealand. His addition to the squad therefore brings attention to both his experience and the circumstances surrounding his potential comeback.
Bhuvneshwar was also selected in India’s T20I squad for the upcoming five-match series against New Zealand that starts from 22 October.
India will await the fitness assessment before finalising their bowling combination for Saturday. If Arshdeep is unavailable, the team will have to determine how best to balance its pace attack for a match that will decide the series.
Updated India squad for 5th T20I vs West Indies: 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.
