The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has confirmed the deployment of four distinct squads for a heavy schedule across September and October 2026. Shubman Gill has been appointed to captain the 15-man ODI squad for the home series against the West Indies, which sees Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli return to the 50-over format.
The senior ODI series begins on September 27 in Trivandrum. The squad includes maiden call-ups for Jammu & Kashmir seamer Auqib Nabi and Punjab’s Naman Dhir. Nitish Kumar Reddy has also been added to the senior ODI setup, having been withdrawn from the Asian Games roster to focus on 2027 World Cup preparations. Notably, Hardik Pandya is absent from the announced white-ball squads for the West Indies series.
Analysis of the selections indicates a tactical split by the BCCI, prioritizing the continental championship defense by deploying Jasprit Bumrah to the Asian Games while keeping Rohit and Kohli in the ODI squad. Ruturaj Gaikwad faces a tight schedule with an overlap between India A duties on September 22 and the senior ODI opener five days later.
Asian Games and Japan Tour
Shreyas Iyer will lead the squad for the Asian Games and a historic T20 International in Japan. The BCCI and Japan Cricket Association (JCA) announced the fixture in Sano on September 22 to commemorate diplomatic ties. “The Japan Cricket Association (JCA) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) are delighted to announce that the men’s teams from each nation will play a T20 International match to launch the celebrations of the 75th anniversary of India-Japan Diplomatic Relations,” the BCCI stated.
The squad features Jasprit Bumrah, Ishan Kishan, and Sanju Samson. In a late personnel change, Vipraj Nigam has replaced Varun Chakaravarthy, who is ruled out with a side strain. Following the Japan tour, Shreyas Iyer is scheduled to take over the senior T20I captaincy in Lucknow on October 6.
Historic Irani Cup in Srinagar
Rishabh Pant has been named captain of the Rest of India (ROI) squad for the Irani Cup, scheduled for October 1-5. The match will be held at the Sher-e-Kashmir Stadium in Srinagar, marking the first time the region has hosted the fixture. ROI will face Jammu & Kashmir, who secured their maiden Ranji Trophy title in February 2026 by defeating Karnataka.
Analysis suggests Pant’s appointment as ROI captain serves as a domestic audition for his red-ball fitness following his omission from the senior white-ball squads. He will be joined in the ROI lineup by Sarfaraz Khan. Simultaneously, an India A side is scheduled to host Australia A, further testing the depth of the domestic red-ball talent pool.
