Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru
Bengaluru, Oct 16: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has added experienced pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar to India's squad for the fifth and final T20I against the West Indies after Arshdeep Singh sustained a blow to his bowling shoulder during the fourth match in Hyderabad.
“The Men's Selection Committee has added Bhuvneshwar Kumar to the India squad for the fifth T20I against West Indies. The final match of the ongoing T20I series will be played at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru on October 17, 2026,” the BCCI said in a statement.
Arshdeep has not been ruled out of the final T20I, but a decision on his participation will be taken before the match, depending on his recovery, the board added.
“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.
Arshdeep sustained the injury to his left shoulder while batting in the fourth T20I at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. During the final over of India's 248-run chase, he was struck on his bowling arm by a bouncer from West Indies pacer Shamar Joseph.
The Indian seamer appeared to be in pain but faced the next delivery before retiring hurt as the West Indies registered a 24-run victory to level the series.
Meanwhile, Bhuvneshwar had earlier received a call-up for India's T20I series against New Zealand, which begins in Christchurch on October 22.
The 36-year-old last represented India in the T20 World Cup semi-final against England at the Adelaide Oval in November 2022. His impressive performances in the Indian Premier League over the last two seasons have helped him return to the national setup.
Bhuvneshwar claimed 45 wickets across the last two IPL editions for Royal Challengers Bengaluru and played an important role in the franchise's title-winning campaigns. His consistency with the new ball and vast experience have earned him another opportunity in India's T20I squad.
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, Naman Dhir and Bhuvneshwar Kumar.