IND vs WI: India’s road towards the 2027 ODI World Cup begins when Shubman Gill’s side takes on West Indies in the first match of a three-game series (IND vs WI) at the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday, September 27. The 2pm IST start will mark India’s first ODI assignment since their 1-2 series defeat in England, but much of the attention will be on two familiar faces.
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are back in the ODI setup, giving the hosts a considerable injection of experience as they begin building their squad for next year’s World Cup. Gill remains India’s ODI captain, with KL Rahul named vice-captain. Ravindra Jadeja has also returned to the 50-over side, while Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Dhruv Jurel, Naman Dhir and Auqib Nabi provide India with options to test their depth.
All eyes on the return of Rohit-Kohli
The return of Rohit and Kohli is the biggest talking point surrounding the series (IND vs WI). Both last played ODIs during India’s England tour, where India lost the three-match series 1-2. Rohit, however, finished that series with a memorable century at Lord’s in the decider. Their presence also creates an interesting selection question for Gill and the team management.
India have several top-order options, with Rohit, Gill, Kohli, Jaiswal and Gaikwad all part of the squad. One possibility is for Rohit and Jaiswal to open, allowing Gill to move to No. 3 and Kohli to occupy No. 4. Another option would be for Gill to continue opening alongside Rohit, with Jaiswal waiting for his opportunity.
West Indies looking to challenge India
West Indies arrive with a squad that has retained much of the core that featured in their recent ODI campaigns. Shai Hope will captain the visitors, with John Campbell returning after missing the final two ODIs against New Zealand because of a hamstring injury. Keacy Carty, Roston Chase, Justin Greaves and Sherfane Rutherford form the core of the batting group, while the bowling attack includes Alzarri Joseph, Jayden Seales and Shamar Joseph.
The visitors have also included 19-year-old left-arm wrist-spinner Vitel Lawes, who made an immediate impact after his ODI debut against New Zealand. He collected eight wickets in that series and could provide West Indies with a different challenge for India’s right-hand-heavy middle order.
Probable XIs:
India: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill (C), Virat Kohli, Ruturaj Gaikwad, KL Rahul (WK), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Gurnoor Brar/Auqib Nabi, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna
West Indies: John Campbell, Justin Greaves, Shai Hope (C & WK), Keacy Carty, Sherfane Rutherford, Gudakesh Motie, Matthew Forde, Alzarri Joseph, Jayden Seales, Vitel Lawes
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