Tilak Varma for T20 squad against West Indies

Tilak Varma, a batter with the Mumbai Indians, received his first call-up to the Indian side when the BCCI released the T20 roster on Wednesday for the forthcoming 5-match West Indies series.

Ravi Bishnoi, a leg-spinner, has also rejoined the team, which is captain by Suryakumar Yadav and will have Hardik Pandya as captain. The squad does not, however, contain Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma.

With a strike-rate of 142 or above in 47 games while batting at No. 5, Varma has been a significant member of the Mumbai Indians team for the past two seasons, which has undoubtedly caught the notice of the national selection panel, which is helmed by Ajit Agarkar.

Rinku Singh of the KKR was left out, but with Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, and Sanju Samson also in the middle of the order, it was more about not having a spot at the same position.

Yashasvi Jaiswal, set to make his Test debut next week, joins the T20 squad after IPLT’s impressive performance. Pacer Avesh Khan and Bishnoi have made international comebacks. The squad also includes three wrist spinners, Kuldeep Yadav, and Yuzvendra Chahal.

On July 12, the first of two Test matches between India and the West Indies will be play in Dominica. Before moving on to the T20Is, the final two of which will be play in Florida, USA, they play three ODIs from July 27 to August 1.

India’s T20I squad: 

Ishan Kishan (wk), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Varma, Surya Kumar Yadav (VC), Sanju Samson (wk), Hardik Pandya (C), Axar Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik, Avesh Khan, Mukesh Kumar.

T20 series schedule

1st T20I: August 3, Brian Lara Stadium, Trinidad

2nd T20I: August 6, Providence Stadium, Guyana

3rd T20I: August 8, Providence Stadium, Guyana

4th T20I: August 12, Central Broward Regional Park Stadium, Lauderhill, Florida

5th T20I: August 13, Central Broward Regional Park Stadium, Lauderhill, Florida