India Test Squad Updates: Pant Out, Karun Nair Dropped, Dhruv Jurel to Keep, Padikkal Gets Big Chance - reports

Team India is gearing up for the upcoming home test series against the West Indies with some notable changes in the test squad. The India vs West Indies test series is scheduled to start in Ahmedabad on October 02, 2025, and then move to New Delhi on October 10, 2025. This will mark a fresh start for Captain Shubman Gill in the new ICC World Test Champions Cycle.

According to the reports from Cricbuzz, the Indian test cricket team is set to have some big changes for the home test series against the West Indies. The selectors have made key calls which involve some senior players and youngsters who will be playing crucial roles in India's red ball future.

Rishabh Pant Ruled Out

One of the biggest talking points is the absence of Rishabh Pant, who will reportedly miss the home test series against West Indies. Pant is set to miss the series due to the right toe injury suffered in the Old Trafford test against England. He is undergoing rehab at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru and is expected to have a speedy recovery.

After Pant's absence, Dhurv Jurel is going to be the first-choice wicket-keeper in the home test series against the West Indies. Jurel got this opportunity after having an excellent performance in the India A vs Australia A matches; he also did quite well in the India vs England test series.

Narayan Jagadeesan will be the backup wicketkeeper in the two-match test series against West Indies. These youngsters have impressed the selectors with his impressive and consistent performance in domestic cricket.

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Karun Nair Likely to be Dropped

The Selectors are set to drop middle-order batter Karun Nair, who was part of the India vs England test series but failed to make a big impact. Nair's return to the Indian test side came with hope, but he managed to score only one half-century in four test matches.

Meanwhile, other batters were doing quite well; therefore, as a result, the selection committee is likely to look forward. Karun Nair returned to the test squad after a long eight years, but he failed to grab the second chance.

Devdutt Padikkal gets a Big Chance

The most exciting update is the inclusion of Devdutt Padikkal, a left-handed batter from Karnataka. He recently played a superb knock and scored 150 against Australia A in Lucknow, which left him in the light of the selectors. Padikkal is seen as a fresh and long-term option for India's middle-order.

The India team batting lineup is expected to be the same as one that played in England, which includes Skipper Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan. The all-rounder section will be spin-heavy as it includes Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sunder, Axar Patel, and Kuldeep Yadav.

The Pace attack is likely to have Mohammad Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah, and Prasidh Krishna, but Bumrah's position in the team is going to totally depend on his fitness after the Asia Cup 2025. However, chances are high, he will be in the squad for the India vs West Indies test series.

India’s Likely Squad for West Indies Test

Shubman Gill (Captain), KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal, Dhruv Jurel, Nitish Reddy,  N JagadeesanRavindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna.

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