West Indies vs India: Three batsmen who deserve to be included in the squad for the Men in Blue

India's tour of the West Indies will begin on 3rd August. The series will feature three T20Is, three ODIs, and two Tests. This will be India's first assignment after the 2019 World Cup. With captain Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah expected to be rested for the limited-overs leg of the tour, fringe players are likely to find a place in the squad.

In this article, we will look at three batsmen who deserve to be included in the squad.

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#1 Mayank Agarwal

Mayank Agarwal

Karnataka batsman Mayank Agarwal was called up as a replacement for the injured Vijay Shankar during the World Cup.

Though he didn’t get a chance, calling an uncapped player during a mega-event shows that the team management has tremendous faith in Agarwal’s abilities and sees him as a player for the future. Agarwal made his Test debut last year during the Australia tour and he impressed one and all with his temperament as he hit a classy 77 in his debut innings at the MCG.

Agarwal showed his skill and technique during that knock and was never overawed by the magnitude of the occasion. He was unlucky not to get a century on debut. His calmness and composure stood out during the tour.

Agarwal is an extremely adaptable batsman and moves across conditions and formats with ease. He has a T20 strike rate of 131.67 and a First Class average of 50.17 which showcases his range adequately and he is surely one for the future and will be one of Indian batting's mainstays in all three formats in the near future.

Expect him to be included in the Indian squad for the Caribbean tour, especially with the injury cloud still hovering over Shikhar Dhawan.

#2 Shubman Gill

Shubman Gill

Shubman Gill came into the limelight in last year’s u-19 World Cup. Earlier this year, he made his ODI debut against New Zealand in New Zealand where he scored 16 runs in two matches at an underwhelming average of eight and was overlooked for the World Cup.

Gill was one of the shining lights in Kolkata Knight Riders’ otherwise lackluster IPL 2019 campaign. He scored 296 runs at an average of 32.88 and at a strike-rate of 124.36. His highest score of 76 came against a potent Mumbai Indians attack. Gill has a wise head on his shoulders and often rescued KKR difficult situations in an abrasive campaign. Despite a poor start to his international career, Gill promises big things.

Gill's batting has earned the praise of many cricket pundits. He is likely to get a longer rope in limited-overs cricket as the team management looks to consider their middle-order options in the long run.

#3 Shreyas Iyer

Shreyas Iyer.

Shreyas Iyer has been a consistent performer in domestic cricket. Plying his trade for the formidable Mumbai side, the swashbuckling batsman averages more than 50 in the Ranji Trophy, no mean feat for a relative youngster.

His Indian Premier League performances have also been consistent. This year he amassed 463 runs at an average of 30.86 and at a strike-rate of 119.94, and led Delhi Capitals to the playoffs.

Iyer’s game is built on hand-eye coordination. He judiciously uses the cut shot to great effect. Against spinners, he likes to use hit feet liberally to unsettle them and launch them to the stands. Considering his performances over the last couple of years, Iyer deserves a chance to showcase his potential at the highest level and he has impressed during the few chances he has got at the ODI level, where he holds an average of 42.00 and a strike-rate of 96.33 from five innings.