Ahmedabad: India’s cricket stars have returned home to a hero’s welcome as the focus shifts from their T20 Asia Cup triumph to the upcoming Test series against the West Indies. Head coach Gautam Gambhir and spinner Kuldeep Yadav arrived in Ahmedabad on Tuesday, a few days after India secured a thrilling five-wicket victory over Pakistan at the Dubai International Stadium.

Videos and social media clips captured ecstatic fans cheering in the streets, waving flags, and celebrating India’s unbeaten run in the tournament, which included seven wins and three victories over archrivals Pakistan.

With the Asia Cup celebrations still fresh, Team India is now preparing for a two-match Test series against the West Indies, beginning October 2 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The second Test will be played at Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium from October 10, forming part of the 2025-27 ICC World Test Championship cycle.

India Squad

• Shubman Gill (c) – Batter

• Ravindra Jadeja (vc) – All-Rounder

• K L Rahul – Batter

• Devdutt Padikkal – Batter

• Yashasvi Jaiswal – Batter

• N Jagadeesan (wk) – Batter

• Sai Sudharsan – Batter

• Axar Patel – All-Rounder

• Nitish Kumar Reddy – All-Rounder

• Washington Sundar – All-Rounder

• Dhruv Jurel (wk) – Wicket-Keeper

• Kuldeep Yadav – Bowler

• Prasidh Krishna – Bowler

• Mohammed Siraj – Bowler

• Jasprit Bumrah – Bowler

West Indies Squad

• Roston Chase (c) – All-Rounder

• Jomel Warrican (vc) – Bowler

• Tagenarine Chanderpaul – Batter

• John Campbell – Batter

• Brandon King – Batter

• Kevlon Anderson – Batter

• Alick Athanaze – All-Rounder

• Khary Pierre – All-Rounder

• Justin Greaves – All-Rounder

• Tevin Imlach – Wicket-Keeper

• Shai Hope (wk) – Wicket-Keeper

• Alzarri Joseph – Bowler

• Shamar Joseph – Bowler

• Anderson Phillip – Bowler

• Jayden Seales – Bowler

The match will begin at 9:30 am on October 2 at the pitch of the world’s largest cricket stadium, the Narendra Modi Stadium in Motera. With the Gandhi Jayanti holiday, cricket fans are expected to throng the stadium and be glued to their TV screens for some good old Test cricket.

Meanwhile, India captain Suryakumar Yadav arrived in his hometown Mumbai on Monday evening with his wife, greeted by cheering fans outside Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport. Other players, including Mumbai-based Shivam Dube, have also reached their home cities, while the core Test squad, along with Gambhir and support staff, are already in Ahmedabad preparing for the longer format.

India’s dominant T20 Asia Cup performance, highlighted by composure under pressure and strategic brilliance, has set high expectations for the upcoming Tests. Fans in Ahmedabad and across the country are eagerly anticipating whether Team India can carry forward its winning momentum against the West Indies in the longer format.