He has to withdraw as he is not fully recovered from the injury. Jason Mohammed has been called in his place.
Read: India-West Indies 2019 Series Full Schedule, Timetable, Fixtures
Host West Indies have also tightened the waist to give a quick reply to the Indian team. They had announced the team for the first two Twenty20 matches. That included Russell.
Russell recently had surgery on his leg. So after a fitness test, he was going to decide whether he would play or not, but eventually, he had to withdraw.
However, Russell's name was seen in the Vancouver Knights squad in the ongoing Global Twenty20 squad in Canada. So people have raised questions about its duplicity.
The Royals and Vancouver Knights face off on Friday in the Global Twenty20 League. The Knights team, led by Chris Gayle, raised the eyebrows of many in the final eleven by seeing Andre Russell's name among the players.
An hour before the start of the match, the Cricket Board has announced that Russell was withdrawing from the Twenty20 series against India, saying he was not fit. But, the global Twenty20 Russell has hit the ground.
While batting, he fell to zero. The Knights team won the match by 6 wickets. The Knights squared the target of 165 by the Royals in 16.3 overs. Chris Gayle once again showed off a stormy bat. He scored 94 off 44 balls to win the match.
India vs West Indies full schedule of Twenty20 Series
1st T20 match, August 3, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, 8 PM
2nd T20 match, August 4, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, 8 PM
3rd T20 match, August 6, Providence Stadium, Guyana, 8 PM
