West Indies reveal selection shock by including star batter for India ODIs

Hetmyer hasn't featured for the Caribbean side in almost a year, but earns a recall on the back of a solid season in the Indian Premier League with the Rajasthan Royals that netted a total of 299 runs from 13 innings.

If Hetmyer is selected it will be his first match in West Indies colours since he featured in a T20I against New Zealand in August last year and shortly before the talented 26-year-old was left out of his side's ICC Men's T20 World Cup campaign in Australia after he missed a departing flight out of the Caribbean.

The left-hander hasn't played an ODI for the West Indies in two years, with Hetmyer's last appearance in a 50-over contest coming against Australia in July 2021.

Hetmyer isn't the only player to earn a recall for the ODI series, with the West Indies also including fast bowler Oshane Thomas in the 15-player squad they announced on Monday alongside injury returnees Jayden Seales, Yannic Cariah and Gudakesh Motie.

Chief selector and West Indies great Desmond Haynes is looking forward to the ODI series against India and is confident that Hetmyer and Thomas can perform well.

“We welcome Oshane and Shimron back into the group. Both have played at the international level before, with some success, and we believe they will fit well into the set-up," Haynes said.

"Oshane brings pace and is a potential wicket-taker with the new ball. Shimron’s style of batting will offer a lot especially in the middle stage of the innings and he is also a potential ‘finisher’."

Regulars Nicholas Pooran and Jason Holder are unavailable for the series, with wicket-keeper batter Shai Hope once again named as captain for the three matches.

The first ODI commences in Barbados on Thursday, with the series of extra importance for India ahead of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup later this year.

West Indies failed to qualify for the 50-over World Cup this year after they finished outside the top two in the recent ICC Men's Cricket World Cup Qualifier tournament in Zimbabwe.

West Indies squad: Shai Hope (c), Rovman Powell (vc), Alick Athanaze, Yannic Cariah, Keacy Carty, Dominic Drakes, Shimron Hetmyer, Alzarri Joseph, Brandon King, Kyle Mayers, Gudakesh Motie, Jayden Seales, Romario Shepherd, Kevin Sinclair, Oshane Thomas

India squad: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Sanju Samson (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), Hardik Pandya (vc), Shardul Thakur, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Jaydev Unadkat, Mohammad Siraj, Umran Malik, Mukesh Kumar

ODI schedule:
27 July: First ODI, Kensington Oval, Barbados
29 July: Second ODI, Kensington Oval, Barbados
1 August: Third ODI, Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Trinidad