India vs West Indies T20I 2026 squads: Players and career achievements

India and West Indies have named 15-player squads for their five-match men’s T20I series beginning October 6, 2026. Shreyas Iyer captains India, with Tilak Varma as vice-captain, while Shai Hope leads West Indies. The updated selections include Naman Dhir in place of Washington Sundar for India and Amir Jangoo as cover for West Indies batter Jewel Andrew.

India’s updated T20I squad

Shreyas Iyer (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper), Tilak Varma (vice-captain), Shivam Dube, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Arshdeep Singh, Prince Yadav, Mayank Yadav and Naman Dhir.

India originally selected Washington Sundar, but the selectors withdrew him so he could prepare for the forthcoming Test series against New Zealand through red-ball cricket. Dhir took his place. Jasprit Bumrah, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are not in this T20I squad; India’s ODI selection for the same tour is a separate team.

West Indies’ updated T20I squad

Shai Hope (captain), Roston Chase, Matthew Forde, Shimron Hetmyer, Akeal Hosein, Amir Jangoo, Shamar Joseph, Gudakesh Motie, Keemo Paul, Kamil Pooran, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Quentin Sampson, Romario Shepherd and Shamar Springer.

Jangoo was added after Andrew injured a finger during the third ODI on October 3. Scans showed no fracture, and Andrew had not been ruled out of the T20I series when the cover was announced. Jangoo’s addition gives West Indies another wicketkeeping and batting option. Experienced all-rounder Jason Holder was rested for the tour, while opener Kamil Pooran entered the initial T20I selection without a senior international appearance.

India players: What have they achieved?

Shreyas Iyer captained Kolkata Knight Riders to the 2024 Indian Premier League title. He was also part of India’s victorious 2025 Champions Trophy side, scoring 243 runs in that tournament. His captaincy and middle-order batting give India an experienced figure in a squad that also contains newer international selections.

Sanju Samson was named Player of the Tournament as India won the 2026 men’s T20 World Cup. He made 321 runs in five innings, including an unbeaten 97 against West Indies and 89 in the final against New Zealand. Fellow wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan scored 317 runs during the same World Cup campaign and joined Samson in its Team of the Tournament.

Abhishek Sharma struck a 30-ball century against Afghanistan in September 2026, the fastest T20I hundred by an India batter at the time. Arshdeep Singh shared the lead for most wickets at the 2024 men’s T20 World Cup, taking 17 as India won the title. The squad’s youngest name, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, scored 175 from 80 balls in India’s victory over England in the 2026 Under-19 World Cup final. That innings was an Under-19 World Cup final record, though selection in the senior squad does not guarantee a place in the playing XI.

West Indies players: What have they achieved?

Shai Hope arrives after making an unbeaten 162 in the third ODI against India on October 3. West Indies successfully chased 352, their highest total in a winning ODI chase. Earlier in his career, Hope scored a century in each innings of West Indies’ 2017 Test victory over England at Headingley.

Shimron Hetmyer hit 85 from 34 balls against Zimbabwe at the 2026 men’s T20 World Cup and finished that competition with 19 sixes. He also captained West Indies to the 2016 Under-19 World Cup title. Romario Shepherd took a hat-trick on his way to figures of 5-20 against Scotland at the 2026 T20 World Cup, underlining the wicket-taking threat he offers alongside his lower-order batting.

Shamar Joseph produced one of West Indies’ standout recent Test performances with 7-68 against Australia at Brisbane in January 2024, securing an eight-run win. New squad member Kamil Pooran earned his call-up after scoring 273 runs in eight innings in the 2026 Caribbean Premier League at a strike rate of 159.64. Those domestic returns earned him a squad place, not a confirmed T20I debut.

When and where are the matches?

The series is scheduled to open in Lucknow on October 6, followed by Ranchi on October 9, Indore on October 11, Hyderabad on October 14 and Bengaluru on October 17. Each match is scheduled for a 7 p.m. India Standard Time start. The squads can still change before a match, and the playing XIs will be confirmed separately.