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The India vs West Indies white-ball series is set to take place from the end of September as the Men in Blue host the Caribbean side for a three-match ODI series and a five-match T20I series. Ahead of the series, there have been some clashes, as Shreyas Iyer will be absent from the ODI series due to his Asian Games 2026 commitment.
India have a packed schedule starting from this Sunday, 13th September, as they take on the Afghanistan National Cricket Team for the first T20I of the three-match series at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, New Delhi. Then they have the Asian Games 2026, which is set to run from September 19 to October 4. This is going to be a tough challenge for the players.
KL Rahul to replace Shreyas Iyer as vice-captain?
Speaking on the ODI series against the West Indies, which is scheduled to start on September 27. During the series, the Asian Games will also run simultaneously, which means Shreyas Iyer, who is the captain of the T20I team and also the vice-captain of the ODI team, will not be present in both places, and this is a major concern for the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
As Shreyas Iyer will be absent during the ODI series, as per reports from PTI, KL Rahul is leading the race to become Shubman Gill's deputy for the forthcoming 50-over series. Rahul has the experience of captaining the side in the ODI format and has a good record as well; under him, India won the series against South Africa.
Who will be the backup wicketkeeper for KL Rahul?
India has a dilemma for the second-choice wicketkeeper; as per the same reports, Dhruv Jurel and Rishabh Pant are in contention. It will be surprising to see if Ishan Kishan is dropped from the ODI squad given the form he has showcased in recent times.
In the absence of Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan has also batted at the No.4 position for the Men in Blue in some series and also scored a hundred against Afghanistan. He can also be in contention given his form. If Rishabh Pant misses out, he could be the Rest of India (ROI) skipper for the Irani Cup.
Who can replace Shreyas Iyer at No.4?
As Shreyas will be absent from the ODI series, some players can come to this position, as Ruturaj Gaikwad also has good numbers in this position, while he has gotten very few chances for the Men in Blue in this format. Apart from Gaikwad, Ishan can also bat at the position.
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