Bhuvneshwar Kumar is back in India colours for the series decider against West Indies and the joy in Bengaluru could be detected just by the noise level inside the Chinnaswamy stadium on Saturday, October 17. The crowd erupted in joy when Shreyas Iyer announced the changes to the Indian team lineup ahead of the nine-over match. The 36-year-old replaced Mayank Yadav in the lineup for the match.

Bhuvneshwar is making a return to the Indian playing XI in any format after a wait of 1425 days. The right-arm pacer made his way back into contention after two sensational seasons in RCB colours, helping them win the IPL title on both occasions.

Bhuvneshwar claimed 45 wickets over the past two IPL seasons and played a significant part in their title-winning runs. His 2026 campaign stood out in particular, with the experienced pacer finishing with 28 wickets at an economy rate of 7.95.

Bhuvneshwar was initially included in T20I squad for the New Zealand tour but India were made to make a quick change as Arshdeep Singh suffered an injury in the 4th T20I.

There was a major doubt of the match happening on Saturday as rain had kept the players inside the dressing rooms for almost two hours. The drainage system at the Chinnaswamy stadium came in clutch and the match was reduced to a nine-over contest.

Along with Bhuvneshwar, India decided to bring back Shivam Dube for the match in place of Nitish Kumar Reddy, who is out of the match due to illness. West Indies decided to remain unchanged for the contest after their big win in Hyderabad.

IND vs WI 5TH T20I: PLAYING XIS

India (Playing XI): Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson(w), Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer(c), Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Naman Dhir, Axar Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Prince Yadav, Arshdeep Singh

West Indies (Playing XI): Shai Hope(w/c), Jewel Andrew, Shimron Hetmyer, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd, Roston Chase, Keemo Paul, Shamar Springer, Gudakesh Motie, Shamar Joseph

- Ends