Arshdeep Singh was hit by a Shamar Joseph bouncer, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar could make his India return at the Chinnaswamy
India have added Bhuvneshwar Kumar to their squad for Saturday’s series decider against West Indies in Bengaluru, with Arshdeep Singh in doubt after a blow to his bowling shoulder.
Oct 16, 2026
Bhuvneshwar Kumar was picked earlier this month to end his long absence from the India side in New Zealand. He may not have to wait that long. The selectors added him on Friday to the squad for Saturday’s fifth T20I against West Indies, after Arshdeep Singh took a blow to his bowling shoulder in Hyderabad on Wednesday.
Arshdeep has not been ruled out. The BCCI said a decision on whether he plays will be taken before the game, based on his recovery. The series is level at 2-2, so whoever wins at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium takes it.
How Arshdeep got hurt
It happened in the last over of the fourth T20I, with the game already gone. West Indies had made 247 for 3, and Arshdeep was batting at No. 10 when Shamar Joseph went short at him. One ball hit him high on the arm. He was treated, tried to carry on, and then Shreyas Iyer told him to retire hurt. With only Mayank Yadav left to bat, that ended the match, with India all out for 223.
India will miss him if he cannot go. His 3 for 44 in Indore, Shai Hope among them, helped India defend 223 there, and that 14-run win is the only game they have taken batting first.
Back at his IPL home
Bhuvneshwar has not played for India since a rain-affected T20I against New Zealand in Napier on 22 November 2022. He has 90 wickets from 87 T20Is, and he is 36.
If he plays on Saturday, it will be on his IPL home ground. He bowls for Royal Challengers Bengaluru, and in IPL 2026 he took 28 wickets in 16 matches. That was one fewer than Kagiso Rabada, who won the Purple Cap, and Bhuvneshwar went at 7.95 an over, the best economy rate among the season’s top five wicket-takers.
He was already in the 16-man squad for the five T20Is in New Zealand, which start on 22 October. So is Arshdeep, which means the shoulder matters for more than one game.
Thin on pace, and rain about
If Arshdeep misses out, Mayank Yadav and Prince Yadav are the only other frontline fast bowlers in the squad, with Nitish Kumar Reddy and Shivam Dube as seam-bowling allrounders. That is not much cover against a West Indies side that has passed 240 twice in the series.
The weather could have a say as well. Rain is in the Bengaluru forecast for Saturday, and first ball is due at 7pm IST.