New Delhi, Jan 26 (IANS) Two-time champions West Indies named an experienced squad on Monday for the Men’s T20 World Cup, starting on February 7 in India and Sri Lanka, with Shai Hope to captain a side vastly different from the one that faced Afghanistan in the United Arab Emirates.

Batters Johnson Charles, Shimron Hetmyer, and Brandon King are the only top-order players carried over from the UAE series, though the pace bowling unit remains largely unchanged. Hard-hitting Guyanese batter Quentin Sampson has earned selection despite managing just 35 runs across three innings in T20Is.

Sampson, 25, was backed on the strength of his 2025 Caribbean Premier League (CPL) form, where he scored 241 runs in nine innings for Guyana Amazon Warriors at a strike rate of 151.57 to finish as the franchise’s third-highest run-getter.

All-rounders Roston Chase, Akeal Hosein, and Sherfane Rutherford return after missing the series against Afghanistan, while former captains Jason Holder and Rovman Powell have been recalled alongside Romario Shepherd. The squad for the T20 World Cup will also participate in the upcoming T20I series against South Africa.

Fast bowler Shamar Joseph has been included despite missing the Test tour of India and the ODI series against Bangladesh due to injuries. He will be part of a pace attack featuring Holder, Matthew Forde, and Jayden Seales, with spin led by Hosein and supported by Chase and Gudakesh Motie.

The 15-man squad features 11 players from the side that competed at the home World Cup in 2024. Left-handed opener Evin Lewis, who had a disappointing outing against Afghanistan, has been omitted alongside fast bowler Alzarri Joseph, who has missed out on the mega event due to injury.

West Indies are placed in Group C alongside Scotland, England, Nepal, and Italy, and will open their campaign against Scotland on February 7 at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, before taking on England (February 11), Nepal (February 15), and Italy (February 19).

West Indies squad: Shai Hope (c), Shimron Hetmyer, Johnson Charles, Roston Chase, Matthew Forde, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, Shamar Joseph, Brandon King, Gudakesh Motie, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Quentin Sampson, Jayden Seales, and Romario Shepherd

–IANS

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