Kamil Rewarded With Maiden T20I Call-Up for India Series
News Desk
The West Indies have handed opening batter Kamil Pooran his maiden T20I call-up and included Shimron Hetmyer in their squad for the upcoming white-ball tour of India.
The tour will begin on September 27 and feature three ODIs followed by five T20Is across eight cities, with the final match scheduled for October 18.
Hetmyer, currently the second-highest run-scorer in the 2026 Caribbean Premier League (CPL), has been rested for the ODI series but will join the West Indies squad for the five-match T20I leg.
Jason Holder, who captained St Kitts & Nevis Patriots in the CPL, has been rested for the entire tour and will feature in neither squad. Holder has not played an ODI for West Indies since July 2023, although he was part of the team’s most recent T20I assignment against Sri Lanka in June.
Kamil Pooran earns first T20I call-up
Kamil Pooran has emerged as one of the standout performers of the ongoing CPL season. The St Lucia Kings opener has scored 273 runs in eight innings at a strike rate of 159.64.
Cricket West Indies said his selection reflects its focus on identifying and developing emerging players ahead of the 2028 T20 World Cup.
Hetmyer, meanwhile, recently featured in the final two ODIs of West Indies’ home series against New Zealand in July, scoring an unbeaten 69 in the fifth match. He has been left out of the ODI squad to allow an extended recovery period following the CPL.
Changes to the squads
John Campbell returns to the ODI squad after recovering from a hamstring injury, while middle-order batter Quentin Sampson has been included in the T20I squad.
Top-order batter Ackeem Auguste will miss the tour as he continues his recovery from surgery performed in August.
Jewel Andrew, who last represented West Indies in September 2025, has been selected in both squads. Shai Hope will captain the ODI and T20I teams.
West Indies head coach Daren Sammy said the series against India would provide an opportunity to improve the team’s ODI performances while assessing players for important roles ahead of the 2027 World Cup.
The West Indies squad is scheduled to depart on September 21 and arrive in Thiruvananthapuram on September 23.
The first two ODIs will also mark the conclusion of the automatic qualification period for the 2027 ICC Men’s ODI World Cup. However, West Indies will need to enter the qualification tournament next year, as their position in the standings cannot be improved enough to secure direct qualification.
West Indies ODI squad
Shai Hope (captain), Jewel Andrew, John Campbell, Keacy Carty, Roston Chase, Matthew Forde, Justin Greaves, Amir Jangoo, Alzarri Joseph, Shamar Joseph, Vitel Lawes, Gudakesh Motie, Keemo Paul, Sherfane Rutherford, Jayden Seales.
West Indies T20I squad
Shai Hope (captain), Jewel Andrew, Roston Chase, Matthew Forde, Shimron Hetmyer, Akeal Hosein, Shamar Joseph, Gudakesh Motie, Keemo Paul, Kamil Pooran, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Quentin Sampson, Romario Shepherd, Shamar Springer.
