India won the toss and opted to field in the opening ODI of the three-game series against West Indies on Sunday in Thiruvananthapuram. The series is very crucial, with India treating this series as a timely platform for their preparations for the 2027 ODI World Cup, which will be hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.
The spotlight will be on veteran stars Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, whose performance will hold a greater significance as India look to fine-tune their combinations. Both experienced batters bring massive experience that will also help captain Shubman Gill. Meanwhile, Mumbai Indians star Naman Dhir has been ODI debut, with Mohammed Siraj being left out.
Gurnoor Brar and Prasidh Krishna will be handling India’s pace attack, while Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja will take care of the spin department. There is no place for Yashasvi Jaiswal as well. West Indies, on the other hand, will be looking to challenge India, as they are aiming to end a two-decade wait for a bilateral ODI series victory over India.
India playing XI: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill (c), Virat Kohli, Ruturaj Gaikwad, KL Rahul (wk), Naman Dhir, Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Gurnoor Brar, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna
West Indies playing XI: John Campbell, Justin Greaves, Keacy Carty, Shai Hope (wk/c), Amir Jangoo, Jewel Andrew, Roston Chase, Matthew Forde, Gudakesh Motie, Alzarri Joseph, Jayden Seales