India vs West Indies 1st ODI Preview: Gill Injury Scare Adds Twist as Both Teams Begin World Cup Build-Up
India face West Indies in Thiruvananthapuram as both teams begin their ODI series with the 2027 World Cup in mind.
India and West Indies begin their three-match ODI series on September 27 at the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram. The match starts at 2:00 PM IST, with both teams looking to make a strong start.
India enter the series with the 2027 ODI World Cup in mind. With a year to go, the team management is expected to use the series to give important game time to key players while also testing backup options.
Shubman Gill picked up an elbow scare during the nets after being hit by Mohammed Siraj. The Indian team expects him to play, but Yashasvi Jaiswal is available as the backup opener if needed.
India could go with three specialist pacers, while Nitish Kumar Reddy is likely to provide another bowling option. Ruturaj Gaikwad is expected to bat at No. 4 as India continue to assess their middle-order combinations.
Sitanshu Kotak said the young players have been making good use of their time with the senior members of the squad. “The environment, I actually feel from inside, it is brilliant,” Kotak said, pointing to the importance of building the team with the World Cup a year away.
West Indies arrive with a different challenge. They are out of direct qualification for the 2027 World Cup and will have to go through the qualifiers, but captain Shai Hope and coach Daren Sammy will be keen to use this series to measure the team against a strong Indian side.
West Indies have not won a bilateral ODI series against India since 2006 and have not won a series in India since 2002. India have won the last 13 bilateral ODI series between the two sides.
Hope admitted the numbers add motivation but said his team understands the challenge. “Whenever you come to India, you want to play against the best team, win against the best team,” he said.
The weather in Thiruvananthapuram has cleared after brief rain on Friday. The pitch is expected to be good for batting, although the new ball could make life difficult for batters during the opening spell.
The venue also brings strong memories for India. In their previous ODI here in 2023, Virat Kohli smashed 166 while Shubman Gill scored 116 as India defeated West Indies by 317 runs, their biggest ODI win by runs.
With India testing combinations and West Indies looking to make a statement, the opening ODI could offer an early look at how both teams are shaping up for the next World Cup cycle.
India Probable XI
Shubman Gill (c), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ruturaj Gaikwad, KL Rahul (wk), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Gurnoor Brar, Prasidh Krishna, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj
West Indies Probable XI
John Campbell, Justin Greaves/Jewel Andrew, Keacy Carty, Shai Hope (c & wk), Amir Jangoo, Sherfane Rutherford, Roston Chase, Matthew Forde, Gudakesh Motie, Alzarri Joseph, Jayden Seales
