Ro-Ko returns as India enters the final leg of World Cup preparations with WI ODIs

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are back in action and with the 2027 ODI World Cup now just over a year away, India’s three-match series against the West Indies comes at a time when their World Cup plans must be taking shape. There is still work to be done and every ODI between now and next October will give India a chance to sort out combinations, look at their options and see who fits where.

The first ODI of the three-match series is played on Sunday, September 27, with the draw scheduled for 1:30 PM IST. ODI Series Live Streaming India Vs. The West Indies will be available on the JioHotstar app and website, while the matches will be telecast live on Star Sports Network in India.

The West Indies come with a very different set of priorities. Their hopes of qualifying directly for the 2027 World Cup are over and they will have to go through qualification for the third time in a row to make it to the ICC. The tour of India is therefore an important test for Daren Sammy’s side, both in terms of how they stack up against strong opposition and in terms of identifying what needs to be improved ahead of the qualifiers, which are five months away.

India have played three ODI series this year and lost two of them. Injuries, along with a focus on the T20 World Cup, which India won, meant they were constantly struggling to put their strongest side on the field. They will be without Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah again for this series, so they will have two significant holes to fill.

Team India players including Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill and head coach Gautam Gambhir arrive for the announcement of BCCI’s new title sponsorship with Muthoot FinCorp. pic.twitter.com/OfHPQhuOs8— Rahul Rawat (@rawatrahul9) September 26, 2026

Pandya gives India an all-round balance that can change the composition of the XI, while Bumrah remains the leader of their pace attack and one of their most important players with the white ball. If both are fit and available when India travel to South Africa for the World Cup, they will be central to the team’s plans.

West Indies, ranked 10th in the ICC ODI rankings, are also looking to put together a settled side after a period of corrective measures in their cricket system. Sammy viewed the India series as an opportunity rather than a daunting task, describing it as a chance to “challenge and measure where we are in ODIs”.

Shai Hope offered a similar assessment, calling it a real test for West Indies to play India in their own backyard. They will also have to contend with history. West Indies have not won a bilateral ODI series against India since 2006, while their the last series win in India came in 2002.

However, there is enough in their bowling attack for India to work on their runs. Matthew Forde and Jayden Seales can offer swing and swing with the new ball, Alzarri Joseph is a threat in the middle overs and Vitel Lawes brings another attacking option that also includes the experience of Gudakesh Motie and Roston Chase. Hope remains a key figure in a batting line-up that has shown promise and will be up to the task against India.

These three ODIs will subsequently serve different purposes for both sides. India can afford to look at their backup options, experiment with combinations and still give Rohit and Kohli valuable time in the middle. West Indies have a more immediate task as the series offers them a chance to see how they stack up against India before the full focus is on World Cup qualifiers.

RO-KO RETURN TO CENTER STAGE

Return of Rohit and Kohli will naturally be one of the biggest talking points throughout the series. The two veterans remain among the biggest crowd pullers in Indian cricket and spent a long session batting side-by-side in the nets two days before the start of the ODIs as India began their preparations.

Kohli added to the interest when he spoke about his motivation to play what could be his last World Cup. With the 2027 tournament now just a year away, the former India captain’s comments point to the next 12 months as he looks ahead to the next World Cup campaign.

Rohit, meanwhile, is back in the format after months of speculation over his ODI future. With the two batsmen now back together, India have two of their most experienced players at their disposal as they begin to piece together their World Cup plans.

There is history between these two teams at Greenfield International Stadium as well. The first ODI at the venue was played in 2018 when India faced the West Indies. The only other ODI here came five years later, when Kohli smashed 166 and Shubman Gill scored 116 as India recorded their biggest ODI run win, beating the West Indies by 317 runs.

IND vs WI: PITCH & CONDITIONS

The weather in Thiruvananthapuram has been largely clear for the past two days, although there was a brief but heavy rain about an hour before India’s practice session on Friday, September 25. It remained hot and humid on the eve of the match, with India opting not to hold a full practice session and only Auqib Nabi having a batting stint.

Morne Morkel described the batting conditions as good but said the new-ball phase could be “a bit challenging”, based on feedback from the batsmen. The last international match at the venue was a T20I between India and New Zealand in January, when India scored 271 and New Zealand replied with 225.

Greenfield International Stadium has only hosted two previous ODIs, so the sample size is small, but bowlers have generally enjoyed bowling here. The venue has the third best bowling average for seamers among Indian ODI pitches at 25.35. West Indies made things tough in their 2018 play as they were bowled out for 104 as Ravindra Jadeja claimed four wickets. There is at least a risk of rain forecast for Sunday.

IND vs WI: TEAM NEWS AND PREDICTED XI

India captain Shubman Gill is expected to play after an injury scare at the nets. Gill was hit in the elbow by Mohammed Siraj’s van and left the session with an ice pack on the affected area. He did not return to bat, but batting coach Sitanshu Kotak said the next day that the Indian captain could play.

Yashasvi Jaiswal remains available as a back-up opener if there is a late change, although Gill is expected to take his place at the top of the order. Bigger questions surround the middle order and the balance of the bowling attack.

Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel are among the first-choice players currently in the Asian Games for India’s T20I side, so India have some decisions to make. The No.4 position is vacant in Iyer’s absence, with Ruturaj Gaikwad likely to fill the spot.

India also have to decide how much bowling coverage they want in the XI. If the team management is confident of getting 10 overs from Nitish Kumar Reddy, they could opt for a batting-heavy combination and hand Naman Dhir his ODI debut in the middle order. If they want more bowling depth, Gurnoor Brar could keep his place, while Auqib Nabi is another debut option.

The bounce we saw during the training sessions could also encourage India to pick three specialist fast bowlers alongside Reddy.

India predicted 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

The West Indies have taken a more measured approach to their preparations, training only on one of the two evenings and touring rather than going through an intensive session. Shai Hope remains the centerpiece of their batting line-up, but there is a mix of experience and relatively new faces around the skipper.

Jewel Andrew returns after almost a year, while Amir Jangoo and Kamil Pooran, aged 29 and 30, are still relatively young in their international careers. Vitel Lawes adds another option to a spin department that already has the experienced Motie and Chase.

West Indies will need their experienced players to impress if they are to challenge India, especially considering their poor record in the bilateral series against their hosts. But for Sammy’s side, the bigger goal goes beyond these three games, with World Cup qualification now the most important part of their journey to the 2027 World Cup.

West Indies predicted 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

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