India has officially added veteran fast bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar to their squad for the fifth and final T20 International against the West Indies. The 36-year-old makes his return to the national T20I setup for the first time in nearly four years, providing essential depth as the side prepares for the series decider in Bengaluru this Saturday.
The decision comes as Arshdeep Singh remains a doubt for the encounter. Arshdeep suffered a blow to his bowling shoulder while batting during the fourth T20I in Hyderabad, a match that saw the West Indies level the series at 2-2. Team management confirmed that a final assessment regarding his availability will be conducted shortly before the start of play. According to the fast bowler comes in as cover for Arshdeep Singh, who continues his recovery from a shoulder injury, the country’s cricket board, On Friday.
This series has been highly competitive, with India twice holding the lead only for West Indies captain Shai Hope to strike two centuries to pull his team back into contention. The tour has also seen significant milestones, including a record-breaking T20I run chase by the West Indies in the second match. Prior to the T20 series, India secured a 2-1 victory in the One-Day International leg, a contest also highlighted by Hope’s impressive century. Although Hope’s century in the third match led West Indies to a record run chase, the hosts claim a 2-1 series win in the One-Day Internationals that preceded the T20s.
Looking ahead, Bhuvneshwar has also been included in India’s squad for the upcoming T20I tour of New Zealand, set to begin on October 22. The extended India squad for the finale includes Shreyas Iyer, Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Ishan Kishan, Sanju Samson, Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Prince Yadav, Mayank Yadav, and Naman Dhir.
