Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
Rishabh Pant has been left out of India’s 15-member ODI squad for the three-match series against the West Indies, but the wicketkeeper-batter will return to action as captain of the Rest of India side in the Irani Cup. Pant will lead the side against 2025-26 Ranji Trophy champions Jammu & Kashmir, with Sarfaraz Khan named his deputy.
The Irani Cup match will be played from October 1 to 5 at the Sher-i-Kashmir Stadium in Srinagar. Jammu & Kashmir earned their place in the traditional season-opening fixture after winning their maiden Ranji Trophy title in the 2025-26 season.
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Pant’s omission from the ODI squad comes as India retained Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli for the West Indies series. Ravindra Jadeja was recalled, while Jammu & Kashmir pacer Auqib Nabi and Punjab all-rounder Naman Dhir received maiden ODI call-ups.
Pant will lead a Rest of India squad featuring several of the top performers from last season’s Ranji Trophy. R Smaran, who scored 950 runs, and Ayush Doseja, who made 949, finished as the top two run-getters in the tournament and have been included in the 15-member squad. Sanat Sangwan and Sudip Kumar Gharami, who also finished among the top four run-scorers, have been picked.
Akash Deep has also been included, subject to fitness. The Bengal pacer has been sidelined with a lower-back stress injury and last played a competitive match in February, when he featured for Bengal in the Ranji Trophy semi-final. The injury also ruled him out of the entire IPL 2026 season and subsequent matches for India.
The squad also includes India Test players Manav Suthar and Saransh Jain, who recently featured in the series against Sri Lanka. Anukul Roy joins them in the spin department, while Mukesh Kumar, Mukesh Choudhary and Aryan Pandey are the other pace options.
Aryan Juyal has been included as the second wicketkeeper, while Shikhar Mohan completes the batting options in the squad.
Rest of India squad: Rishabh Pant (C, WK), Sanat Sangwan, Shikhar Mohan, Sudip Gharami, Sarfaraz Khan (VC), Smaran Ravichandran, Manav Suthar, Saransh Jain, Akash Deep*, Mukesh Kumar, Mukesh Choudhary, Aryan Juyal (WK), Aryan Pandey, Anukul Roy, Ayush Doseja.
*Subject to fitness.
– Ends
SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
