Published on: Oct 1, 2026 4:58 pm IST|Updated on: Oct 1, 2026 4:58 pm IST
Team India have suffered a fresh injury setback as Prasidh Krishna, their premier paceman in the ongoing India vs West Indies ODI series, has been ruled out of the third and final game owing to a quadriceps injury. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) fast-tracked Haryana pacer Anshul Kamboj as his replacement, calling him up directly from his red-ball duties for India A.
Prasidh, who featured in the opening two ODIs, could only bowl 5 overs in the second game of the series in Guwahati before walking off the field when he experienced quadriceps discomfort. Subsequent medical assessments by the BCCI sports science team confirmed a muscle strain, making him unfit for the series finale in Mullanpur.
To fill the void in the seam attack, national selectors selected 25-year-old Anshul Kamboj. In a dramatic turn of events, Kamboj was pulled mid-game from India A’s multi-day match against Australia A in Kanpur to join the senior national squad immediately.
Kamboj was on the field during Australia A’s second innings when team management informed him of his national selection. He was promptly substituted out of the red-ball fixture to board a flight to Ahmedabad ahead of the third ODI.
An official statement from the BCCI medical updates team confirmed:
“Prasidh Krishna complained of left quadriceps pain following the second ODI against the West Indies. Scans revealed a grade-1 muscle strain, ruling him out of the third ODI. The Men’s Selection Committee has named Anshul Kamboj as his replacement for the final match of the series.”
Kamboj’s call-up in the ODI side comes on the back of some consistent domestic performances. The Haryana seamer enjoyed a breakout season in the Vijay Hazare Trophy and Ranji Trophy, earning praise for his disciplined hard-length bowling and seam presentation.
Speaking about his maiden call-up to the Indian team ODI dressing room, Kamboj expressed his excitement in an interview prior to leaving India A camp:
“It feels like a dream come true to get the call for the national team. Playing for India is what every cricketer works for day and night. Leaving the India A game mid-way was unexpected, but I am ready to give my hundred percent whenever I get the opportunity to wear the blue jersey.”
With Prasidh now ruled out, Team India have three options to replace him in the eleven. Mohammed Siraj has been warming the bench throughout the series. Siraj should be the first choice for the final ODI. However, we all know Gautam Gambhir and his obsessiveness of doing things differently. With Anshul called up and Nitish Kumar Reddy also available, the head coach has as many as three options up his sleeve.