Brandon King will lead the 16-member West Indies squad for the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan, with Shamar Joseph and Evin Lewis back in the mix, the cricket board announced on Tuesday.

T20 captain Shai Hope, along with established players Roston Chase, Akeal Hosein and Sherfane Rutherford were unavailable for selection due to commitments in the ongoing SA20 tournament.

Joseph and Lewis, who were out due to injuries, have been cleared to play. However, Alzarri Joseph, who was also sidelined due to injury, hasn’t been included as a precautionary measure.

“He will continue to be monitored and assessed to determine his eligibility and potential selection for the World Cup squad,” Cricket West Indies stated.

Quentin Sampson, the Breakout Player of the 2025 Caribbean Premier League, has earned his maiden international call-up. He replaces Rovman Powell, who has been rested for the series alongside Jason Holder and Romario Shepherd as part of workload management.

The series, scheduled to be played at the Dubai Cricket International Stadium in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from January 19–22, will serve as preparation ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup scheduled to begin on February 6. The final squad will be announced ahead of the three-match T20I series against South Africa set for January 27–31.