India Announces ODI and T20 Squads Against West Indies, Featuring Naman Dheer and Aaqib Nabi

New Delhi, September 16 (Daily Kiran) : The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has officially announced the squads for the upcoming ODI and T20 series against the West Indies. Notably, all-rounder Naman Dheer and fast bowler Aaqib Nabi have been included in the senior ODI team for the first time.

Naman Dheer, a batting all-rounder from Punjab, played a crucial role in winning the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy during the 2023-24 season. He made his IPL debut in 2024, showcasing his talent with an unbeaten 62 against the Lucknow Super Giants. Although he was released the following season, the franchise exercised their ‘right-to-match’ option during the 2025 auction, allowing him to play all 16 matches that season and amass 252 runs at an impressive strike rate of 182.60. In the 2026 IPL, he scored 318 runs at an average of 26.50 over 14 matches.

At just 26 years old, Dheer has played 20 first-class matches, scoring 669 runs at an average of 23.06, including two centuries. In 14 List A matches, he averages 39 with 351 runs. His T20 performance is equally commendable, with 1,222 runs from 61 matches. As a bowler, he has taken 17 wickets in first-class cricket, seven in List A, and eight in T20 formats.

Aaqib Nabi, known as the “Baramulla Express,” is celebrated for his exceptional ability to swing the ball both ways with precision. He has made a significant impact in the Ranji Trophy, taking 104 wickets across two outstanding seasons (2024-25 and 2025-26). In his second season, he claimed 60 wickets in 17 innings, leading Jammu and Kashmir to their first Ranji title and earning the ‘Player of the Tournament’ award. In the 2025 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Nabi took 15 wickets in seven matches, which led to his acquisition by Delhi Capitals for ₹8.40 crores at the IPL auction.

At 29, Nabi has achieved 164 wickets in 44 first-class matches, 56 in 36 List A matches, and 43 in 39 T20 matches.

The ODI matches between India and West Indies are scheduled for September 27, September 30, and October 3. Following the ODIs, a five-match T20 series will take place on October 6, 9, 11, 14, and 17. The inclusion of Dheer and Nabi adds youthful energy and depth to the Indian squad, providing all-round options and bolstering the middle order.

The Indian team for the ODI series against West Indies includes: Shubman Gill (captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ruturaj Gaikwad, KL Rahul (vice-captain), Dhruv Jurel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Barar, Mohammed Siraj, Aaqib Nabi, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Naman Dheer.

For the T20 series, the squad features: Shreyas Iyer (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav SuryaVanshi, Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper), Tilak Varma (vice-captain), Shivam Dubey, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Arshdeep Singh, Prince Yadav, and Mayank Yadav.