West Indies Fast Bowler Alzarri Joseph ruled out of India Test Series due to injury; Jediah Blades added to squad

West Indies face a setback as fast bowler Alzarri Joseph withdraws from the upcoming India Test series due to a recurring back injury.

30th of September 2025

West Indies fast bowler Alzarri Joseph has been ruled out of the upcoming Test series against India. He has been dealing with a lower back problem. It was reported that he had been dealing with a reoccurring injury which upon scan report was found to have returned.

In Joseph’s absence, Jediah Blades has been added to the squad as substitution for the two Test matches. Blades, who is also an international player, has represented the West Indies in ODI and T20I tournaments in the past. Former captain, Jason Holder has also turned down the captaincy due to a scheduled medical procedure.

Currently, West Indies is playing against Nepal in a three-match T20 International series in Sharjah, UAE. The two teams are facing each other for the first time, with matches scheduled between September 27 to September 30, 2025.

The West Indies will be travelling to India for the ICC World Test Championship. The first Test match will run from October 2-6 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad and the second from October 10-14 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. This will be the first Test series for West Indies in India since 2018.

After the Test series in India, the team will head to Bangladesh for 3 One Day Internationals and 3-T20 International matches which begin from October 18. It will be followed by a grand tour of New Zealand, which includes 5-T20Is, 3-ODIs and 3-Test matches across several cities between November to December 2025.