Kamil Pooran earns maiden T20I call-up for WI tour of India; Holder rested

Thiruvananthapuram-bound: West Indies have unveiled a blended, forward-looking white-ball squad for their upcoming September 27–October 18 tour of India, featuring a maiden T20I call-up for CPL breakout star Kamil Pooran, a split workload for Shimron Hetmyer, and a complete rest for Jason Holder. LED captained across formats by Shai Hope, the Caribbean side departs on September 21, landing in Thiruvananthapuram two days later ahead of three ODIs and five T20Is spanning eight Indian cities. Key Selection Takeaways The Maiden Call-Up: Kamil Pooran earns his first T20I nod following an electric CPL 2026 campaign where he plundered 273 runs in eight innings at a 159.64 strike rate for St Lucia Kings. CWI frames this as part of a deliberate developmental arc toward the 2028 T20 World Cup. Hetmyer’s Split Schedule: CPL's second-highest scorer skips the three-match ODI leg for a managed post-tournament recovery window, returning exclusively for the five-match T20I series. Holder Rested: Former CPL St Kitts & Nevis Patriots captain Jason Holder sits out both formats, continuing a long ODI absence stretching back to July 2023. Combacks & Inclusions: Opener John Campbell returns from a hamstring injury for ODIs, heavy-hitting prospect Quentin Sampson bolsters T20 plans, and Jewel Andrew features across both squads. Top-order batter Ackeem Auguste misses out following August surgery. World Cup Context: The opening two ODIs close out the automatic qualification cycle for the 2027 Men's ODI World Cup, though West Indies are already bound for early-year qualifiers. Squad Breakdowns ODI Squad Shai Hope (captain), Jewel Andrew, John Campbell, Keacy Carty, Roston Chase, Matthew Forde, Justin Greaves, Amir Jangoo, Alzarri Joseph, Shamar Joseph, Vitel Lawes, Gudakesh Motie, Keemo Paul, Sherfane Rutherford, and Jayden Seales. T20I Squad Shai Hope (captain), Jewel Andrew, Roston Chase, Matthew Forde, Shimron Hetmyer, Akeal Hosein, Shamar Joseph, Gudakesh Motie, Keemo Paul, Kamil Pooran, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Quentin Sampson, Romario Shepherd, and Shamar Springer. "Playing against the top team in the world presents us with a chance to fine tune and improve our performances as an ODI team... [and] a valuable platform to assess players stepping into important roles with a long-term target of competing in the World Cup in 2027." — Daren Sammy, West Indies Head Coach Tour Snapshot Window: September 27 – October 18, 2026 Itinerary: 3 ODIs, 5 T20Is across 8 Indian cities Arrival: September 23 (Thiruvananthapuram)