West Indies batsman Jermaine Blackwood admits he is over the moon to be back in the One Day International (ODI) set-up for the first time in almost 8 years.
The stylish 30-year-old batsman has evolved as a red ball specialist over the last few years but was called into the team after recently returning Shimron Hetmyer pulled out of the squad due to personal reasons and allrounder Keemo Paul was ruled out with an injury.
The aggressive batsman has only ever played two ODIs and has a high score of 11 but has long been proposed as an option for the format because of his aggressive scoring instincts. In Test cricket, he averages 31.29 and has three half centuries.
Blackwood is ever to prove that he has improved much as a batsman since his previous two appearances.
“I was over the moon. I’ve always been telling myself that I wanted to come back into the team and make a difference, so right now I have the opportunity to do just that,” Blackwood said.
“My game has developed a lot. I haven’t played regional 50 over cricket in three years because of West Indies duties but in-between that I’ve played a bit and I’ve scored some 100s batting at the top of the order and at number three. So, I have the experience batting the new ball and the old ball.”
West Indies Women return to action on home soil when they host New Zealand Women in an eight-match white-ball tour from September 16 to October 6 in Antigua.
Cricket West Indies (CWI) confirmed that the three CG United One-Day Internationals (ODI) and five T20 Internationals (T20I) will be played at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium.
The CG United ODI Series is scheduled for September 16, 19 and 22 and matches will start at 9.30 am local time, and 8.30 am Jamaica time. The T20Is are scheduled for September 26 to October 6.
All of the T20Is will start at 1.00 pm local time, midday Jamaica time, other than the 4th T20I on Tuesday, October 4 which will start at 10.00 am local time, 9.00 am Jamaica time.
For the CG United ODI Series, West Indies will be looking to build on the progress after reaching the semi-finals of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup in New Zealand earlier this year.
The team will then look to the five T20I matches as part of their preparations for the 2023 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in South Africa in January.
Courtney Walsh, West Indies Women’s Head Coach, welcomed the tour and said they will have a keen eye on the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup.
“I am very happy that we will be hosting New Zealand in the West Indies. They are a very competitive team, and this will make for a great series for our team. As it comes just after we’ve had the Women’s regional tournaments and the Women’s CPL, it will be a great fillip for our players,” Walsh said.
“We are currently holding another specialist camp including some new players, and after the Women’s CPL we will have a second camp in Antigua.
“In addition, the lead selector was with the West Indies U19 Women’s team for their series in Florida and has identified some exciting prospects to consider. So, we should have enough cricket before the New Zealand Series starts. Every series that we play we want to win, and we will be playing a positive brand of cricket. We will also have an eye on the T20 World Cup around the corner. So, this will give the squad a chance to showcase all their skills, and also give us, the coaching staff, a chance to look at what depth we have.”
All eight matches will be streamed live on the Windies Cricket YouTube channel. Live ball-by-ball scoring will also be available on the www.windiescricket.com Match Centre.
FULL MATCH SCHEDULE
CG United ODI Series
Friday 16 September: 1st CG United ODI, 9:30 am Eastern Caribbean/8:30 am Jamaica Time
Monday 19 September: 2nd CG United ODI, 9:30 am Eastern Caribbean/8:30 am Jamaica Time
Thursday, 22 September: 3rd United ODI, 9:30 am Eastern Caribbean/8:30 am Jamaica Time
T20I Series
Monday 26 September: 1st T20I, 1:30 pm Eastern Caribbean/12:30 pm Jamaica time
Wednesday 28 September: 2nd T20I, 1:30 pm Eastern Caribbean/12:30 pm Jamaica time
Saturday 1 October: 3rd T20I, 1:30 pm Eastern Caribbean/12:00 pm Jamaica time
Tuesday 4 October: 4th T20I, 10:00 am Eastern Caribbean/9:00 am Jamaica Time
Thursday 6 October: 5th T20I, 1:30 pm Eastern Caribbean/12:00 pm Jamaica time
Deandra Dottin produced a match-winning all-round performance in the Women’s 100 competition in England to lead Manchester Originals Women to an 11-run victory over Welsh Fire Women on Tuesday.
Dottin’s unbeaten 37-ball 67 propelled Manchester Originals’ to 156-2 from their 100 balls.
Dottin, who recently retired from international cricket and Sophie Ecclestone, who made an unbeaten 36, were mainly responsible for MO’s winning total after they lost opener, Emma Lamb, for 35 and Lizelle Lee for just three.
Alex Hartley had the best figures for Welsh Fire with 1-17 from 20 balls while Annabel Sutherland took 1-33 from her 20-ball allotment.
Needing 157, Welsh Fire made a fist of it, scoring 145-3, thanks mainly to the efforts of openers Tammy Beaumont who scored 45 from 42 balls with five fours and Hayley Matthews, who smashed 69 from 41 balls, blazing 12 fours along the way.
Dottin dismissed Racheal Haynes for 11 and Sutherland for 0 as the Welsh Fire chase fizzled, to return figures of 2-21 from 15 balls.
Ecclestone who took the prized wicket of Matthews had figures of 1-27 from her 20 balls.
KL Rahul is determined to add to the "great memories" of facing Zimbabwe when he returns as captain in a three-match ODI series.
Rahul has not played for almost three months after undergoing a hernia operation and suffering with COVID-19.
The batter has been passed fit to lead India at Harare Sports Club, where the opening match of the series will be staged on Thursday, with VVS Laxman stepping in as India head coach while Rahul Dravid takes a break.
Rahul scored an unbeaten century on his ODI debut at the same venue six years ago and is eager to make up for lost time.
He told reporters on Wednesday: "My ODI and T20I debut was in Harare. I got a 100 in my first game, so I have great memories here.
"Hopefully I can add on to those memories. Coming back here after so many years and getting the opportunity to lead your country, obviously when you look back, it's very pleasing.
"As a person you can see how much you've grown and how far you've come as a player. It gives me great joy. Hopefully I can add to those good memories and play some good cricket over the next week."
India suffered a 3-0 series defeat to South Africa in Rahul's only previous series as skipper, but the tourists will be expected to dish out a whitewash of their own in Harare.
Shikhar Dhawan captained India to a 3-0 clean sweep of West Indies in the 50-over format last month and the opener will be vice-captain as they look for a fourth consecutive series triumph.
Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant are among the players who have been rested ahead of the Asia Cup. Shahbaz Ahmed will be hoping to make his debut after the all-rounder replaced the injured Washington Sundar.
Zimbabwe ended a three-year wait for an ODI series win by beating Bangladesh 2-1, but this will be a much bigger challenge.
Regis Chakabva will skipper the hosts in the absence of Craig Ervine, who is out with a torn hamstring.
Chahar must make his mark
Deepak Chahar will make his long-awaited return after a six-month absence due to quad and back injuries.
With so much competition for places, the seamer will know he must take his chance. The 30-year-old was not included in India's Asia Cup squad, but he is on standby.
Raza key to Zimbabwe's hopes
Sikandar Raza was named player of the series in Zimbabwe's triumph over the Tigers this month.
The all-rounder scored two centuries, as well as taking five wickets, and Zimbabwe will look to him to contribute again with both bat and ball.
South Africa took control on a rain-affected opening day of the first Test against England as their pace attack fired at Lord's.
Just 32 overs were possible on Wednesday, yet there was enough time for the Proteas to reduce Ben Stokes' side to 116-6.
Anrich Nortje claimed 3-43 and the fit-again Kagiso Rabada took 2-36 in a ruthless display from the fast bowlers before the heavens opened in London.
Under-pressure opener Zak Crawley fell for only nine, with Alex Lees the first man to depart for five as Rabada struck twice early on his return from injury.
Joe Root was unable to provide any respite as he departed leg before to Marco Jansen (1-18) before Jonny Bairstow was clean bowled for a duck by Nortje.
Stokes (20) and Ollie Pope (61 not out) added 45 runs for the fifth wicket, but the captain was squared up by Nortje's final ball of the morning session and caught at third slip by Keegan Petersen.
Having lost five wickets prior to lunch, Ben Foakes became Nortje's third victim when he was cleaned up by a ripper and rain forced the end of play two deliveries later.
To cover the loss of overs on day one of the first Test in the three-match series, the remaining four days will now see 98 overs per day, with dry weather forecast.
England blown away by Proteas pace attack
The wicket of Foakes was Nortje's 50th in Test cricket in his 13th match, his raw pace proving far too hot for England's batters to handle.
Rabada was also hugely impressive a dominant display from the tourists and he is now five wickets away from 250 for South Africa.
Pope provides some hope
England have won their past four Tests, making this their best-such run since a five-match streak in 2018, but they already have their work cut out after a poor start at Lord's.
Pope provided the only positive with that his eighth Test half-century, though even then he had the fortune of being dropped by Peterson on 45.
West Indies captain Nicholas Pooran has admitted the absence of frontline spinner Gudakesh Motie will be a huge blow for the team ahead of a crucial upcoming One Day International (ODI) series against New Zealand.
The 27-year-old spinner has not played since the first ODI against India where he fractured his thumb while fielding. As a result, the player missed the second and third matches and the entire T20 series against India and New Zealand.
With the three matches against New Zealand being the West Indies’ last remaining three fixtures in the ICC ODI Super League, and with the prospect to secure automatic qualification for the 2023 ICC World Cup in India on the line, Pooran would love to have all his best players available. He has, however, expressed confidence that the team can make do with the available players.
“It’s a blow for us, especially looking at his performances in the Bangladesh series and how well he bowled in that first game against India,” Pooran told members of the media on Tuesday.
“I thought we were starting to get that chemistry between both him and Akeal (Hosein) they are two of the better spinners in the Caribbean but it is what it is,” he added.
“We hope he will recover and soon be available to us but having said that Kevin Sinclair is here, Yannic Cariah has gotten picked and we are backing them to deliver 100 percent.”
The Cricket West Indies (CWI) Senior Men’s Selection Panel on Tuesday announced changes to the West Indies squad for the three-match CG United One-Day International (ODI) Series against New Zealand which starts tomorrow on Wednesday 17 August. All three ODIs will be day/night matches played under floodlights at Kensington Oval with the 2nd and 3rd CG United ODIs on 19 and 21 August.
From the original squad, left-handed batter Shimron Hetmyer is unavailable due to personal reasons; allrounder Keemo Paul is ruled out with an injury and left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie has failed to recover from the hand injury sustained during the CG United Series against India last month.
The replacements are middle-order batter Jermaine Blackwood and leg-spinning allrounder Yannic Cariah. Blackwood is called up for the ODI squad for the first time since 2015. Cariah earns his first squad call-up for the West Indies after being promoted from the West Indies A squad that has been playing against Bangladesh. Cariah captained the West Indies Emerging Players team that won the CG United Super50 Cup (then the Colonial Insurance Super50 Cup) in 2019. Odean Smith, the seam-bowling allrounder, has been added as a reserve.
CWI’s Lead Selector, The Most Hon Dr. Desmond Haynes, said: “Hetmyer has to attend to a family matter in Guyana. Unfortunately, Motie is not yet able to rejoin the squad and Keemo is struggling with an injury. However, it provides an opportunity for Yannic Cariah to get a chance. He is someone that has been performing well on the regional circuit and we feel now is the right time to integrate him into the senior team set-up. Odean Smith has been added on the back of some notable performances in the T20I Series. He has displayed the all-round ability to change games and we look forward to his continued development.”
The three matches are West Indies’ last remaining three fixtures in the ICC ODI Super League as West Indies aim to automatically qualify for the 2023 ICC World Cup in India. West Indies will be seeking to win the CG United ODI Series to secure one of the automatic qualification places reserved for the top 7 teams in the ODI Super League table, excluding hosts India.
Fans can purchase their tickets at tickets.windiestickets.com or via www.windiescricket.com/tickets avoiding the need to queue or travel and to choose their preferred seat. The Windies Tickets service, presented by Mastercard, provides advance tickets for every West Indies home fixture, delivering tickets securely and directly to fans’ ticket accounts to store on their mobile devices or to print out for entry into to the stadium. The stadium venue box office, located along Fontabelle Road close to the Kensington Oval gates, is also open daily from 9am to 5pm for patrons to make in-person ticket purchase.
For all matches, adults can purchase half price tickets for children under the age of 16 and seniors can also benefit from half price tickets as well. Fans in the West Indies can watch the CG United ODI Series exclusively live on ESPN Caribbean or listen to live radio commentary on the West Indies YouTube channel. Fans in New Zealand can watch exclusively live on Sky Sport.
FULL SQUAD
Nicholas Pooran (Captain
Shai Hope (Vice Captain)
Jermaine Blackwood
Shamarh Brooks
Yannic Cariah
Keacy Carty
Jason Holder
Akeal Hosein
Alzarri Joseph
Brandon King
Kyle Mayers
Jayden Seales
Kevin Sinclair
Traveling Reserve
Odean Smith
The squads for the Massy Women’s Caribbean Premier League (WCPL) and the Women’s SKYEXCH 6IXTY have been confirmed with the best players from across the region joining up with overseas stars. Both tournaments will take place at Warner Park, St Kitts with SKYEXCH 6IXTY from 24 to 28 August and the Massy WCPL running from 31 August to 4 September.
The three teams will be captained by Hayley Matthews (Barbados Royals), Stafanie Taylor (Guyana Amazon Warriors) and Deandra Dottin (Trinbago Knight Riders). Each squad will have three overseas spots with players from South Africa, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, New Zealand and the USA.
The Royals will feature Pakistani bowling all-rounder, Fatima Sana, who has played 40 times for her country. Sana was part of the Pakistan squad that look part in the recently concluded Commonwealth Games tournament in Birmingham.
Joining Sana at the Royals is South African all-rounder Chloe Tyron who brings a huge amount of experience to the Barbados franchise having played 174 times for her country.
The final overseas player for the Royals is USA under-19 player Snigdha Paul. An all-rounder, Paul has impressed in the recently concluded series against the West Indies U19 side, claiming four wickets with an economy rate of 2.92.
The Guyana Amazon Warriors will be joined by Sri Lankan captain Chamari Athapaththu who has played in almost 200 internationals. An opening batter, Athapaththu has made six international hundreds with an ODI high score of 178*.
Also with the Amazon Warriors is South African seam bowler, Ayabonga Khaka. With a T20 International bowling average of just 24.02 and an economy rate of 6.43, Khaka will bring wickets and control to the Warriors team.
The final Amazon Warriors overseas player is 16-year-old Isani Vaghela who has already represented the USA national team.
The Trinbago Knight Riders will feature New Zealand seam bowler Hayley Jensen who has 75 international caps and who has played for both Melbourne Renegades and Hobart Hurricanes in the Big Bash in Australia.
Joining Jensen at the Knight Riders will be South African captain Sune Luus who has made major contributions at the highest level as a spin bowling all-rounder. With 17 fifties and four five wicket hauls at the international level she brings real balance to this Knight Riders squad.
The last overseas spot for the Knight Riders goes to USA international medium pacer Geetika Kodali who was impressive at the recent Fairbreak T20 tournament in the UAE.
Pete Russell, Hero CPL’s CEO, said: “We are really pleased with the quality of international signings for the inaugural Massy WCPL and SKYEXCH 6IXTY tournaments and we look forward to welcoming these players in St Kitts for these two exciting competitions.”
Full Squads:
Barbados Royals
Hayley Matthews (Captain), Shakera Selman (Vice Captain), Fatima Sana (Pakistan), Chloe Tryon (South Africa), Snighda Paul (USA), Reneice Boyce, Mandy Rangru, Brittney Cooper, Aaliyah Alleyne, Shanika Bruce, Afy Fletcher, Qiana Joseph, Japhina Joseph, Chinelle Henry.
Guyana Amazon Warriors
Stafanie Taylor (Captain), Shermaine Campbelle (Vice Captain), Chamari Athapaththu (Sri Lanka), Ayabonga Khaka (South Africa), Isani Vaghela (USA), Rashada Williams, Rachel Vincent, Kaysia Schultz, Chedean Nation, Cherry-Ann Fraser, Shamilia Connell, Karishma Ramharack, Shabika Gajnabi, Zaida James.
Trinbago Knight Riders
Deandra Dottin (Captain), Anisa Mohammed (Vice Captain), Hayley Jensen (New Zealand), Sune Luus (South Africa), Geetika Kodali (USA), Lee Ann Kirby, Kyshona Knight, Kycia Knight, Natasha McLean, Sheneta Grimmond, Caniesha Isaac, Jannillea Glasgow, Steffie Soogrim, Shawnisha Hector.
Dean Elgar is determined to "throw a bit more respect into the badge" when South Africa face "beatable" England in a three-match Test series.
The Proteas have won three and drawn one of their past four series in the longest format, including a 2-1 victory over India.
South Africa are also sitting pretty at the top of the World Test Championship table and are third in the rankings ahead of an opening match against Ben Stokes' side that starts at Lord's on Wednesday.
England have enjoyed a dream start to a new era with Stokes as captain and Brendon McCullum head coach, whitewashing New Zealand 3-0 and beating India in a rearranged Test to draw the series 2-2.
Yet visiting captain Elgar is backing the tourists to maintain the momentum and bring England back down to earth.
The opening batter said: "I don't play to lose. I absolutely despise losing. And if we play an average brand [of cricket], or we're not putting our best foot forward, and we don't have results going our way, then that affects me quite a bit.
"This is a massive series for all of us. I think we've got 17 players and it's massive for all 17 of us to go out there, play a brand of cricket that appeals to South Africans and ultimately gives us the best chance of winning in England. We've seen it happen in the past before, so we know it can be done."
Elgar says South Africa will not cross the line with the verbals, but expects words to be exchanged in the middle.
"In the heat of battle, there's always something that comes out," he said. "Let's put it that way. I just want to play three really, really hard Test matches and go out there and put the badge on the line and throw a bit more respect into the badge."
He added: "We played against the best in the world last year [India, who were top of the rankings at the time], and I think we did things that we didn't quite expect to do at that time.
"So the standard that we've set and the bar that we've raised since last year has happened pretty naturally just out of us doing good things on the field again.
"It's gonna be a tough series, no doubt. They are a proud cricketing nation and I respect that. But I know they are definitely beatable. I didn't come here to play second fiddle. I came here to win a series."
Half-centuries from Sharmarh Brooks and Player-of-the-Match Brandon King helped the West Indies salvage a measure of pride after they defeated New Zealand by eight wickets with six balls to spare in the third and final T20 International at Sabina Park in Kingston on Sunday.
New Zealand took the series 2-1 after winning the first T20 international by 13 runs last Wednesday and humiliating the West Indies by 90 runs on Friday, which meant that Sunday’s match was a dead rubber with only pride at stake for the home side.
Set a target of 147, the West Indies cruised to 150-2 from 19 overs.
The victory was set up by an opening stand of 102 between Brooks, who was unbeaten on 56 and King who entertained the small crowd gathered with 53 from 35 balls, his first T20 international half-century on home soil and his fifth overall.
It was the first opening stand of 100 or more by the West Indies since January 2020 against Ireland.
King eventually got out in the 14th over attempting to pull Tim Southee over the square-leg boundary but was caught by Martin Guptill running in from deep.
Devon Thomas wasted an opportunity to get some runs under his belt when he was caught at deep midwicket by Glen Phillips for five to leave the West Indies 113-2 mid-way the 15th over.
Stand-in captain Rovman Powell ensured that there would be no jitters. He scored 27 not out including the match-winning six over the midwicket boundary from James Neesham’s final delivery.
Powell and Brooks shared a 37-run partnership that took the home side to victory.
For the first time in the series, the bowlers and batsmen were on song.
Odean Smith took T20I career-best figures of 3-29, Dominic Drakes bowled tidily to finish with 1-19 and Akeal Hosein 2-28 to restrict New Zealand to 145-7, their lowest total of the series.
Phillips followed up his 76 from the second T20 international with a 26-ball 41 but New Zealand lost wickets at regular intervals and were unable to put together any meaningful partnerships.
In fact, it was a 47-run fourth-wicket partnership between Kane Williamson (24) and Phillips that helped the tourists set a respectable total after struggling to 57-3 in the ninth over.
Devon Conway’s 21 was the only other score of note as the West Indies bowlers maintained a stranglehold throughout the 20 overs.
South Africa paceman Duanne Olivier has been ruled out of the Test series against England due to a hip injury.
The quick sustained a grade two right hip flexor muscle tear during the Proteas' crushing innings-and-56-run defeat to the England Lions at Canterbury.
South Africa have not called up a replacement ahead of a three-match series that starts at Lord's on Wednesday.
"Duanne presented with significant discomfort involving his right hip flexor muscle at the close of play on day three of the four-day tour match," team doctor Hashendra Ramjee said.
"After clinical assessment, he was referred for an MRI scan which revealed a grade two tear involving the right pectineus muscle.
"Due to the extent of the injury, he has been ruled out of the three-match Test series against England and will return home where he will commence his rehabilitation with the Gauteng Central Lions medical team."
The tourists also have a doubt over fellow quick Kagiso Rabada, who has been sidelined by an ankle injury.
They are not short of pace options, though, with Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Marco Jansen, Glenton Stuurman and Lutho Sipamla in the squad.
New Zealand batsman Glenn Phillips struck a magnificent half century to underpin a record 215 and series win against the West Indies at Sabina Park, in Jamaica, on Friday.
Phillips, who played several years for the country’s Jamaica Tallawahs franchise in the CPL, looked right at home as he blasted 76 from 31 deliveries. The batsman was aided in the carnage by Daryl Mitchell who made 48 from 20 as the pair put on 83 for the fourth wicket.
No Windies bowler, in particular, did well against the onslaught with Obed McKoy claiming the best bowling figures with 3 for 40.
In reply, the West Indies never looked like making a game of the run chase. They managed just 125 for 9 in reply, lacking the partnerships that underpinned New Zealand's record innings, which was the most by a visiting team in the Caribbean.
With the top order vanishing in dizzying fashion, the Windies did not get a decent partnership until lower down the innings. The best two were 35 for the seventh wicket between Romario Shepherd and Rovman Powell, but that came when the Windies were 40 for 6 and well out of the game. Hayden Walsh and Obed McCoy put on 38 in an unbroken stand for the last wicket.
Mitchell Santner and Michael Bracewell did the damage for New Zealand with the ball, both finishing with 3 for 15.
The Cricket West Indies Senior Men’s Selection Panel on Thursday announced the squad for the CG United One-Day International Series against New Zealand. All three matches will be day/night matches played under floodlights at Kensington Oval in Barbados on August 17, 19 and 21.
The three matches are West Indies’ last remaining three fixtures in the ICC ODI Super League as West Indies aim to automatically qualify for the 2023 ICC World Cup in India. West Indies will be seeking to win the CG United ODI Series to secure one of the automatic qualification places reserved for the top 7 teams in the ODI Super League table, excluding hosts India.
CWI’s Selection Panel named one newcomer to the squad in off-spinner Kevin Sinclair. He made his international debut in T20I cricket last year against Sri Lanka and has so far played six T20Is. Left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie has been named in the 14-member squad and will have to undergo a fitness assessment on the finger injury sustained against India in the CG United ODI Series in Trinidad last month.
Allrounder Roston Chase is unavailable for selection due to injury while fellow allrounder Fabien Allen is also unavailable for personal reasons.
Lead Selector, The Most Hon Dr Desmond Haynes said: “As we stated before, we are looking to broaden the pool of players and we have decided to give Sinclair an opportunity in the CG United ODI Series against New Zealand. He has been in the system for a while and was also in the ‘A Team’ to play against Bangladesh ‘A’ in the upcoming series. We believe with his calm approach and skills he will do well in the matches against New Zealand.”
“New Zealand is a very good cricketing nation, and this will be a very competitive series. We have the confidence in the players selected that they will do very well. This is the last series of the international season at home, and it would be good to end with some solid performances as we continue to build towards the ICC World Cup in India next year,” he added.
FULL SQUAD
Nicholas Pooran (Captain)
Shai Hope (Vice Captain)
Shamarh Brooks
Keacy Carty
Shimron Hetmyer
Jason Holder
Akeal Hosein
Alzarri Joseph
Brandon King
Kyle Mayers
Gudakesh Motie (subject to fitness)
Keemo Paul
Jayden Seales
Kevin Sinclair
KL Rahul has been named as India's captain for their three-match ODI tour of Zimbabwe this month, having been omitted from the initial 15-man squad.
Rahul was supposed to feature in India's tour of West Indies last month after recovering from a hernia operation, but missed out after testing positive for COVID-19.
The 30-year-old will now return to lead his country for the second time in the 50-over format after receiving medical clearance to play, with Shikhar Dhawan vice-captain.
India fell to a 3-0 series defeat in South Africa when Rahul last captained the team this year, and the batter has not played any competitive cricket since the conclusion of the 2022 Indian Premier League season.
Rahul hit an ODI century on his debut against Zimbabwe back in 2016, the first of five hundreds in the format.
The three-match series gets under way at Harare Sports Club on August 18.
India squad: KL Rahul (captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shubman Gill, Deepak Hooda, Rahul Tripathi, Ishan Kishan, Sanju Samson, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Avesh Khan, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj, Deepak Chahar.
Kieron Pollard, Dwayne Bravo and Nicholas Pooran are the latest big names from the Caribbean to sign up for the UAE's International League T20 (ILT20).
They join the likes of Andre Fletcher, Sheldon Cottrell, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Shimron Hetmyer, Evin Lewis, Fabian Allen, Rovman Powell, Akeal Hosein, Raymon Reifer, Sherfane Rutherford, Ravi Rampaul, Kennar Lewis and Dominic Drakes as West Indians participating in the inaugural edition of the tournament.
Other big names participating include England's Moeen Ali and Alex Hales as well as Sri Lankan leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga.
The ILT20 is set to begin in January next year in the UAE and is competing with South Africa's T20 League for players. There will be six franchises consisting of 18 players each.
The 2023 edition of the ILT20 will have 34 matches. All the teams will play each other twice, before four playoffs, including the final, spread across Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah.
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