Dhoni dropped from T20I series against WI, Australia

Former Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni has been dropped from India's 16-member teams for both the T20 International series against the West Indies (WI) and Australia later this year.

Captain Virat Kohli was rested from the three-match T20I series against the West Indies beginning on November 4. Rohit Sharma will lead the team in Kohli's absence. However, Kohli will return for the Australia tour.

Left-arm spinner Shahbaz Nadeem has also been included in the T20I squad for Windies series, while Krunal Pandya has found a place in the squad for both Windies and Australia 20-over series.

Meanwhile, Hardik Pandya hasn't fully recovered and doesn't find a place in India's 18-man Test squad announced by BCCI for the 2018-19 Australia tour following his injury that saw him being stretchered off the field in the recently concluded Asia Cup.

Murali Vijay, Rohit Sharma and Parthiv Patel mark their comebacks while Mayank Agarwal and Mohammed Siraj, both of whom earned maiden Test call-ups during the Windies series, have been left out.

Rohit returned to the Test side after missing out on the series against Afghanistan and England. Opener Murali Vijay, who was dropped midway through the England series has been recalled to the side while Mayank Agarwal, who was part of the squad for the home Test series against Windies, has been excluded.

Wicket-keeper Dinesh Karthik has been replaced by veteran Parthiv Patel for the Test series against Australia following a stint of impressive performances in the domestic circuit.

The three T20 against the Windies starts on November 1 at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata while the series down under kicks off with the T20 series from November 21 at Brisbane. India and Australia will shift their focus to red ball cricket from December 6 with the first test being scheduled at Adelaide.

Squad for three T20I match series against Windies: Rohit Sharma (C), Shikhar, KL Rahul, Dinesh Karthik, Manish, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant (wk), Krunal Pandya, Washington Sundar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Khaleel Ahmed, Umesh Yadav, Shahbaz Nadeem

Squad for three T20I match series against Australia: Virat Kohli (C), Rohit (vc), Shikhar, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Manish, Dinesh Karthik, Rishabh Pant (wk), Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Washington Sundar, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Umesh Yadav, Khaleel Ahmed

Squad for Four Test match series against Australia: Virat Kohli (C), M Vijay, KL Rahul, Prithvi Shaw, Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Hanuma Vihari, Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant, Parthiv Patel, R Ashwin, R Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Shami, Ishant, Umesh, Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar.