IND vs WI: KL Rahul And Axar Patel Out Of T20 Series; Gaikwad & Hooda Named As Replacements

India's T20I vice-captain KL Rahul and left-arm spin all-rounder Axar Patel have been ruled out of the upcoming three-match T20I series against the West Indies, said the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Friday. It also announced opener Ruturaj Gaikwad and all-rounder Deepak Hooda as replacements for Rahul and Patel respectively.

"Rahul sustained an upper left hamstring strain during fielding in the second ODI on February 9, 2022, while Axar has resumed the final stage of his rehabilitation after recently recovering from Covid-19. They will now head to the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru for further management of their injury," said a release from the BCCI.

In the second ODI against the West Indies on Wednesday, Rahul had made 49 off 48 balls while batting at number four. During the toss in the third ODI, captain Rohit Sharma had cited a niggle as the reason for Rahul's absence from the match. Patel, meanwhile, hasn't been in action since the Test series against New Zealand and had missed the tour of South Africa due to an injury.

After the completion of the third and final ODI at the Narendra Modi Stadium, India and West Indies will move to Kolkata for the T20I series to be played at the Eden Gardens from February 16. The second and third match of the T20I series will be played on February 18 and 20 respectively.

India's T20I squad:

Rohit Sharma (Captain), Ishan Kishan, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Surya Kumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Venkatesh Iyer, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Ravi Bishnoi, Yuzvendra Chahal, Washington Sundar, Mohammed Siraj, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Avesh Khan, Harshal Patel, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Deepak Hooda.