Arshdeep Singh’s availability for the crucial fifth T20I against the West Indies hangs in the balance following a shoulder injury he picked up in the fourth match at Hyderabad. The interim selection committee, led by Pragyan Ojha, has called up Bhuvneshwar Kumar as a precautionary addition to India’s squad. Just last week, Bhuvneshwar was recalled for the T20I series in New Zealand, having last donned the India jersey in November 2022.
The injury to Arshdeep occurred when he was struck on the bicep by a delivery from Shamar Joseph while batting in Hyderabad. This incident forced Arshdeep to retire hurt on what turned out to be the match’s final ball. The BCCI has stated, “A decision on his participation is likely to be taken prior to the game, based on his recovery.”
In the meantime, Bhuvneshwar has returned to the cricketing fold, having undergone a fitness assessment at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru last week. He has been gradually increasing his bowling workload, gearing up for the looming New Zealand series. Bhuvneshwar has been away from international cricket since his stint in the UPT20 League in September.
Despite previously expressing a desire to remain unfazed by selection decisions, Bhuvneshwar’s recent form in the IPL for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) has regained him attention. Over two triumphant seasons, he took 28 wickets in 16 matches during the 2026 IPL, finishing second in the wickets tally only behind Purple Cap winner Kagiso Rabada.
Arshdeep’s injury leaves India’s selectors juggling squad configurations ahead of the New Zealand tour, especially with injuries already affecting fast bowlers such as Prasidh Krishna and Harshit Rana. There is speculation that some players might be released early from the ODI series in New Zealand to prepare for the subsequent Test series.
Throughout the four matches against the West Indies, Arshdeep has claimed five wickets. In addition to Bhuvneshwar and Arshdeep, the squad includes Mayank Yadav and Prince Yadav as prominent fast-bowling options. Seam-bowling allrounders Nitish Kumar Reddy and Shivam Dube are also part of the lineup. The full squad for the deciding T20I is as follows: Shreyas Iyer (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper), Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Arshdeep Singh, Prince Yadav, Mayank Yadav, Naman Dhir, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
