π π«ππ ππ«πππ’πππ’π¨π§π¬ π¨π§ πππ₯ππ π«ππ¦ ππ
India
West Indies
India and the West Indies will begin the 3-match ODI series at the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram. India will enter the match with a strong combination, with Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja expected to play key roles in batting.
India will bring some new faces into the series, with Naman Dhir and Auqib Nabi receiving maiden ODI call-ups. Jason Holder has been rested by West Indies and is replaced by Kamil Pooran in the T20Is, while the visitors will look to their experienced players to provide stability against a strong Indian side.
India have the recent head-to-head record in their favour, having won 4 of the last 5 ODIs against West Indies. Those 4 wins also show that India can handle both chasing and defending situations, which will give them an advantage heading into the opening ODI.
Indiaβs openers will have the stronger recent ODI numbers, with Shubman Gill averaging 93.50 across his last 9 matches and Rohit Sharma scoring 454 runs in his last 10.
The betting tip is...
Highest Opening Partnership - India
61 %
39 %
IndiaWest IndiesIndia had received maiden ODI call-ups for Naman Dhir and Auqib Nabi for the three-match series against West Indies. Ravindra Jadeja had also returned to the ODI setup after last playing a 50-over international against New Zealand in January.
With Hardik Pandya yet to receive fitness clearance from the Centre of Excellence, Nitish Kumar Reddy had been withdrawn from the Asian Games squad and included in the ODI side. Jasprit Bumrah, who had returned during the ongoing T20I series against Afghanistan, had not been included in either squad.
Shubman Gill had scored 561 runs in nine recent ODIs at an average of 93.50 and a strike rate of 110.65, while Rohit Sharma had made 454 runs in 10 matches at 45.40 and 99.78. Prasidh Krishna had taken 17 wickets in eight matches, while Gurnoor Brar had claimed 11 wickets in six games.
Gill, Kohli and Rahul are the key players in the team.
Predicted Lineup: Shubman Gill (c), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ruturaj Gaikwad, KL Rahul (wk), Dhruv Jurel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Gurnoor Brar, Prasidh Krishna and Mohammed Siraj
West Indies had handed opening batter Kamil Pooran a maiden T20I call-up and included Shimron Hetmyer in the white-ball setup for the India tour starting on September 27. Hetmyer, the second-highest scorer in CPL 2026, had been allowed to skip the three-match ODI leg and would join the team for the five T20Is.
He had also featured in the last two ODIs of the home series against New Zealand in July. John Campbell had returned to the ODI squad after recovering from a hamstring injury, while Quentin Sampson had been among the T20I prospects. Ackeem Auguste had been ruled out while recovering from August surgery. Jewel Andrew, who last played for West Indies in September 2025, had been included in both squads, led by Shai Hope.
Hope, Chase and Alzarri are the key players in the team.
Predicted Lineup: Shai Hope (c, wk), Jewel Andrew, John Campbell, Keacy Carty, Roston Chase, Matthew Forde, Justin Greaves, Amir Jangoo, Alzarri Joseph, Shamar Joseph and Gudakesh Motie.
India will have the advantage in familiar conditions at Thiruvananthapuram, with their top order expected to make a strong start. Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill will provide experience and recent ODI form at the top, with Gill having scored 561 runs in his last 9 ODIs at an average of 93.50.
Rohit will also bring 454 runs from his last 10 ODIs at an average of 45.40. West Indies will rely on John Campbell and Jewel Andrew, but Indiaβs opening pair will have greater experience and recent consistency. With Virat Kohli also in the top order, India will have more batting depth and could produce the highest individual score of the match.
