Naman Dhir Replaces Washington Sundar In India's T20I Squad vs West Indies

Naman Dhir replaces Sundar in T20I squad vs WI [Source: BCCI/X.COM]In the latest development, Washington Sundar has been withdrawn from the India T20I squad for the upcoming matches against the West Indies. Naman Dhir, who recently made his ODI debut against the same opposition, has come in as a replacement.The selection committee, in consultation with the team management, pulled Sundar out of the T20Is, and the decision was taken keeping in mind the upcoming Test series against the New Zealand side.BCCI wants Sundar to prioritise red-ball cricketThe BCCI, in its press release, stated that Sundar has been withdrawn from the T20Is so that the all-rounder gets to play first-class cricket in the Ranji Trophy 2026-27 and prepare for the New Zealand Test series, which takes place in November.Team India considers Sundar a vital cog in Tests, and the BCCI wants one of its main players to get ready for the gruelling two-match Test series which could decide India's fate in the WTC cycle as they languish in the table.He has been replaced by Naman Dhir, who recently smashed a scintillating 173 in a T20 game in the Punjab T20 League.India's Updated T20I squad vs West IndiesShreyas Iyer [C], Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Ishan Kishan [WK], Sanju Samson [WK], Tilak Varma [VC], Shivam Dube, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Arshdeep Singh, Prince Yadav, Mayank Yadav, Naman DhirAlso Read: Naman Dhir Takes Flying Catch vs West Indies in Just His 2nd ODIWhy BCCI picked Naman Dhir as Sundar's replacement?Dhir has been outstanding in the latest T20 tournament, and his heroics in the Punjab T20 matches earned him massive praise.The right-handed all-rounder played 10 matches in the tournament, and he finished as the highest run-scorer with 655 runs, at an astonishing strike rate of 217.61. He also scored two stellar centuries in the competition.In one of the games, he alone scored 173 runs off just 64 balls, and this was the knock that propelled the BCCI to keep him on their radar for T20Is.Moreover, Dhir can be a like-for-like bowling replacement for Washington Sundar. Just like Sundar, Dhir is a right-arm off-break bowler, and he has the ability to take wickets in the middle overs of a T20 game.Also, he will be a batting upgrade over Sundar, as the right-handed player can play anywhere in the top six.Also Read: No Pakistan Player Included As SA20 Auction List Of 156 Players Released