Cheteshwar Pujara has been omitted from India’s squad for the impending two-Test series against the West Indies in July, while Ruturaj Gaikwad and Yashasvi Jaiswal have been selected following stellar performances in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Pujara, a veteran of over 100 Tests, was axed due to a dismal run of form after the 35-year-old scored only 211 runs and one half-century in his last six matches.
If Shubman Gill continues to open the proceedings, his absence leaves a position free for Gaikwad or Jaiswal to fill.
Jaiswal, who scored the quickest IPL fifty in 13 deliveries this season, finished among the top five run scorers with 625 runs during the two-month tournament, while Gaikwad finished with 590 runs.
Gaikwad also made headlines in November when he hit seven sixes in an over for his team Maharashtra in a first-class match.
Ajinkya Rahane, India’s leading scorer in the World Test Championship final defeat to Australia, has retained his position and will serve as vice-captain for the one-off match at The Oval in London.
The Caribbean tour begins with the first Test in Dominica from July 12 to July 16. From July 20-24, the second Test will be contested in Trinidad.
The squad for five Twenty20 matches will be announced at a later date. India also announced its one-day international squad for a three-match series in Barbados and Trinidad.
Test squad: Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Virat Kohli, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ajinkya Rahane (vice-captain), KS Bharat (wicket-keeper), Ishan Kishan (wicket-keeper), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Axar Patel, Mohammed Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jaydev Unadkat, Navdeep Saini.
ODI squad: Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Virat Kohli, Surya Kumar Yadav, Sanju Samson (wicket-keeper), Ishan Kishan (wicket-keeper), Hardik Pandya (vice-captain), Shardul Thakur, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Jaydev Unadkat, Mohammed Siraj, Umran Malik, Mukesh Kumar.