.jpg?type=hq)
Indian Team - (Source: AP)
After a disappointing England series, the T20I contingent led by Shreyas Iyer is in Zimbabwe, playing a three-match series. The Men in Blue are already 1-0 up in the series, but the BCCI is concerned about the fifty-over format because the 2027 ODI World Cup is less than 18 months away.
India’s next ODI assignment will be against the West Indies. The Caribbean side will travel to India for a three-match ODI series starting on September 27.
Asian Games To Collide With West Indies ODIs
On Thursday, July 23, the Asian Games committee released the full draw for the upcoming games in Japan. India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh have earned a direct place in the quarter-finals, while six additional nations will compete in a preliminary round to book four quarter-final slots.
The knockout stage of the tournament will run from September to October 3. Interestingly, the prestigious games will overlap with the West Indies series, which also starts on September 3.
Hence, the players who will travel to Japan for the Asian Games will not take part in the West Indies ODI. For the unversed, the BCCI has already released the 15-member squad for the Asian Games 2026.
Hence, this article will look at the list of players who will miss West Indies ODIs feat Shreyas Iyer.
India’s Asian Games 2026 Squad
Shreyas Iyer will lead the side, while the veterans like Jasprit Bumrah is also part of the major tournament. Also, eyes are on Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who earned his selection.
India's Asian Games Squad: Shreyas Iyer (C), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Shivam Dube, Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Jasprit Bumrah
Also Read: Abhishek Sharma Called ‘Rascal’ By Ex-Australia Wicketkeeper After T20 World Cup 2026
List Of India Players To Miss West Indies series ft Shreyas Iyer
If we look at the above-mentioned squad, then Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Tilak Varma, Ravi Bishnoi, and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi are not in the scheme of things in ODIs. These players only feature in T20Is, and they wouldn’t have been in the ODI squad for the West Indies series anyhow.
Shivam Dube was also part of the England ODIs as a replacement, and since Hardik Pandya is expected to be fit by September, Dube too wouldn’t have earned selection.
Hence, Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan, Axar Patel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Harshit Rana, Jasprit Bumrah, and Arshdeep Singh are the key players who will miss the West Indies ODIs because of the Asian Games 2026.
Perfect Opportunity For Several Stars
The overlapping situation has presented a great opportunities for players who are doing well but struggling to get into the Indian team. The likes of Ruturaj Gaikwad and Rajat Patidar can come back into the scheme of things in the middle-order in the absence of Shreyas Iyer.
Further, Hardik Pandya might return as well as Ravindra Jadeja because of lack of genuine spin bowling all-rounders. The West Indies can also be a great opportunity for Yashasvi Jaiswal to return and for Indian management to try out new combination.
Also Read: How Shivam Dube Is Silently Emerging As India's Secret Weapon For World Cup 2027
