Bhuvneshwar Kumar added to India squad as cover for injured Arshdeep ahead of final T20I in Bengaluru
Bhuvneshwar Kumar was added to India’s squad on Friday, October 16, 2026, as cover for Arshdeep Singh ahead of the series-deciding fifth T20I against the West Indies at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Saturday, October 17, 2026; the five-match series is tied 2-2.
"Bhuvneshwar Kumar was added to the squad after Arshdeep Singh sustained a blow to his bowling shoulder during the fourth T20I of the series against West Indies on Wednesday in Hyderabad," the BCCI said in a release. "A decision on his (Arshdeep) participation in the final T20I will be taken prior to the game based on his recovery," it added. The BCCI statement announcing the addition was issued on Friday.
The player brought in is a 36-year-old pacer. The announcement described him as a veteran and noted he had already been selected for India's upcoming T20 series in New Zealand, which starts on October 22 in Christchurch. His inclusion is as cover while Arshdeep's fitness is monitored.
India's squad for the fifth T20I was listed as: Shreyas Iyer (C), Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Ishan Kishan (WK), Sanju Samson (WK). The remainder of the squad named was: Tilak Varma (VC), Shivam Dube, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi. The final group of players on the list comprised Nitish Kumar Reddy, Arshdeep Singh, Prince Yadav, Mayank Yadav, Naman Dhir and Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
The BCCI release tied the injury update to the fourth T20I in Hyderabad earlier in the week and confirmed that a fitness-based decision on Arshdeep would be made before the match. The addition on Friday was presented specifically as cover rather than as a change to the core playing XI. The announcement also reiterated Bhuvneshwar's prior selection for the New Zealand T20 assignment.
India and the West Indies will contest the series-deciding fifth and final T20I at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Saturday, October 17, 2026, with a final availability decision on Arshdeep to be taken prior to the game.
