Shamar Joseph Ruled Out of India vs West Indies 2025 Tests, Johann Layne Replaces Him

West Indies have faced a big setback ahead of their two-Test series against India as pacer Shamar Joseph has been ruled out due to injury. He has been replaced by all-rounder Johann Layne. The 26-year-old Joseph was expected to be one of the main bowlers for West Indies, starting October 2 in Ahmedabad and has been in great form this year, taking 22 wickets in just three Tests, ranking among the top five wicket-takers in the format.

Cricket West Indies (CWI) hasn’t shared details about Joseph’s injury, but they said he will be checked again before the white-ball tour of Bangladesh, which starts right after the India Tests. After the India series ends on October 14, West Indies have a busy schedule: three ODIs in Bangladesh from October 18, followed by a three-match T20I series until November 1 and then the team will travel to New Zealand for a full tour across all formats.Joseph missing out is a big blow for West Indies. In just 11 Tests, he has already taken 51 wickets at an impressive average of 21.66.

"Johann Layne has replaced Shamar Joseph in the squad for the test series against India. Joseph has been ruled out due to an injury and will be re-evaluated ahead of the Bangladesh limited-overs series," read the statement from West Indies cricket.

Johann Layne Replaces Joseph in West Indies Squad

In Joseph’s place, 22-year-old Johann Layne comes in. He has done well in domestic cricket and for West Indies A, taking 66 wickets in 19 first-class matches including four five-wicket hauls and scoring 495 runs with two fifties. Layne, a right-arm fast bowler who can also bat a bit, had a great recent season with West Indies Academy, taking 27 wickets in six matches including a six-wicket haul against Windward Islands, making him a valuable pick for the series.

Layne will now join a pace attack that includes Alzarri Joseph, Jayden Seales, and Anderson Phillip, with Justin Greaves as an all-round option. The spin attack will be led by captain Roston Chase, supported by Jomel Warrican and Khary Pierre. The two-Test series against India will be played in Ahmedabad and Delhi, with the second Test starting on October 10. India has announced a strong squad, with Karun Nair and Abhimanyu Easwaran missing out, while Axar Patel and Devdutt Padikkal have been included.

India vs West Indies Test Series 2025 Schedule

IND vs WI Squads

India Squad:

Shubman Gill (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Ravindra Jadeja (vc), Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Axar Patel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Kuldeep Yadav, and N Jagadeesan (wk).

West Indies Squad:

Roston Chase (c), Jomel Warrican (vc), Kevlon Anderson, Alick Athanaze, John Campbell, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Justin Greaves, Shai Hope, Tevin Imlach, Alzarri Joseph, Johann Layne, Brandon King, Anderson Phillip, Khary Pierre, Jayden Seales.

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by IPL Web Desk September 26, 2025