India begin their ODI World Cup preparations in Thiruvananthapuram against the West Indies, with veterans Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma approaching major run milestones.
The three-match ODI series between India and the West Indies begins at the Greenfield Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday, September 26, 2026. Demand for the fixture has been immense, with thousands of tickets selling out in a matter of hours and leaving fans unable to secure seats even at three times the price on the black market.
With the 50-over World Cup just a year away, the series marks the start of India's official roadmap for the tournament. The visiting West Indies side—who won the first two World Cup editions and lost to India in the third—must first qualify for the upcoming showpiece event. Shai Hope's team will be seeking a strong performance in a country where the West Indies have not won an ODI series since 2002.
The series provides another platform for veteran Indian modern masters Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, who now represent India exclusively in the 50-over format. Both players are closing in on historical milestones: 37-year-old Kohli requires 59 runs to become the second player after Sachin Tendulkar to reach 15,000 ODI runs, while 39-year-old Rohit needs 105 runs to hit the 12,000-run mark.
Indian captain Shubman Gill enters the series in sublime form as the world's No. 1 ranked ODI batter. Due to the ongoing Asian Games and injury concerns, India is without its full-strength XI, opening selection opportunities for players such as Ruturaj Gaikwad, Auqib Nabi, and Naman Dhir.
The full Indian squad includes Shubman Gill (Capt.), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, K.L. Rahul (wk), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel, Nitish Kumar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Brar, Auqib Nabi, and Naman Dhir. The West Indies squad features Shai Hope (Capt.), John Campbell, Keacy Carty, Sherfane Rutherford, Justin Greaves, Amir Jangoo, Matthew Forde, Roston Chase, Gudakesh Motie, Alzarri Joseph, Jayden Seales, Shamar Joseph, Jewel Andrew, Vitel Lawes, and Keemo Paul.
Reporting sourced from The Hindu Cricket. Photo courtesy The Hindu Cricket.