Gayle back in Windies squad for lone T20 against India

Swashbuckling West Indies opening batsman Chris Gayle, who has not played an international match since the World T20 final against England in 2016, has been recalled in the 13-man squad for the one-off T20 match against India at Sabina Park on July 9.

Gayle is the highest run-maker for West Indies in this format with 1,519 runs (average 35.32, strike rate 145.49), including two centuries. This will be his first T20I at Sabina Park.

"We welcome Chris back to the T20 squad. He is the most prolific batsman in this format and will add value to our team at the top of the order. He will get the chance to play on his home ground and against a top-quality Indian team," said Courtney Browne, Cricket West Indies' chairman of selectors.

The left-handed batsman has been included in the side at the expense of Lendl Simmons, who scored 6, 17* and 15 in the series against Afghanistan, West Indies' last T20 assignment.

Test and ODI skipper Jason Holder, who did not feature in that series, has been rested again.

West Indies T20 squad: Carlos Brathwaite (capt), Samuel Badree, Ronsford Beaton, Chris Gayle, Evin Lewis, Jason Mohammed, Sunil Narine, Kieron Pollard, Rovman Powell, Marlon Samuels, Jerome Taylor, Chadwick Walton (wk), Kesrick Williams.

-ANI