Amir Jangoo, the talented wicketkeeper-batter, has been called up to the West Indies T20I squad as a precautionary measure for the upcoming series against India. This move follows Jewel Andrew’s finger injury, which occurred during the third ODI against India on Saturday. While Andrew is not yet ruled out for the five-match T20I series, the West Indies Cricket medical team continues to monitor his recovery, according to a CWI statement released on Monday morning.
The 19-year-old Andrew faced an unfortunate dismissal for a first-ball duck in the first ODI against India and returned to play the third match after sitting out the second. His injury happened as he took a catch to dismiss Naman Dhir, leading to a trip to the hospital for scans which thankfully showed no fracture. Andrew’s participation in the series remains uncertain as he did not bat during West Indies’ successful chase in the ODI.
Jangoo, aged 29, is primarily known for his skills in longer format cricket but has carved out a niche in T20 internationals, appearing in seven games for the national team since his debut in December 2024. His performance with the bat in T20Is has shown glimpses of promise but remains relatively average, boasting 163 runs at a strike rate of 120.74. In domestic circuits, over 34 T20 matches, his strike rate drops to 104.25. However, Jangoo’s contributions were crucial during the recent CPL season, aiding Antigua and Barbuda Falcons in clinching the title. His standout performance was an unbeaten 57 off 34 balls during the final against Jamaica Kingsmen.
Jangoo’s recent form in the ODIs against India has been noteworthy, scoring 58 not out, 114, and 67, thus securing the third position in the list of highest run-scorers of the series. Only Shubman Gill and Shai Hope surpassed his impressive tally of 239 runs.
The West Indies T20I squad will gear up for their first match against India in Lucknow on Tuesday, before proceeding to Ranchi, Indore, Hyderabad, and Bengaluru through mid-October.
