The Indian ODI squad will assemble in Thiruvananthapuram till September 24

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma will return to action in the three-match ODI series against West Indies. NEW DELHI: The Shubman Gill-led India ODI squad for the three-match series against West Indies is scheduled to meet in Thiruvananthapuram till Thursday (September 24). Some players will arrive at the series opener on Wednesday night, while others will join a day later.The series will see Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma back in action while Ravindra Jadeja will return to the format after being left out of the matches following the ODI series against New Zealand earlier this year. Most of India’s first-choice ODI players, vice-captain Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan, Jasprit Bumrah and Axar Patel, are on Asian Games duty in Japan. Their absence has opened up slots for players like Ruturaj Gaikwad, Auqib Nabi and even the experienced Jadeja.With Hardik Pandya unavailable for selection, the selectors have withdrawn Nitish Kumar Reddy from the Asian Games as they want to give the young all-rounder time to build and sustain his bowling volume. Head coach Gautam Gambhir claimed after the T20I against Afghanistan that Reddy will improve as he plays more in international cricket and even hinted at the possibility of playing both him and Pandya in the playing XI.“It’s actually a great thing from Nitish’s point of view that he has been withdrawn from the T20 format and he will get time against the West Indies as well. We know how important the seam-bowling all-rounder will be in a year’s time and when we go to South Africa. And once Hardik comes back, obviously playing both of them in Gambhir’s game. It could be good sometimes.The series is also important for KL Rahul to re-establish his position as the first-choice wicketkeeper-bat in the ODI setup. The think tank explored the use of Ishan Kishan by giving him game time and even the big gloves, but Rahul’s consistency in this format has been spot on and his experience will be invaluable in South African conditions. KL Rahul is currently training at the Center of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru to prepare for the ODI series.The West Indies team has already landed and will begin preparations for the series.Indian ODI Team: Shubman Gill (captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ruturaj Gaikwad, KL Rahul (vice-captain), Dhruv Jurel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Brar, Mohammed Na Siraj, Yashahir, Jahira Jabish NabisWest Indies ODI Team: Shai Hope (captain), Jewel Andrew, John Campbell, Keacy Carty, Roston Chase, Matthew Forde, Justin Greaves, Amir Jangoo, Alzarri Joseph, Shamar Joseph, Vitel Lawes, Gudakesh Motie, Keemo Paul, Sherfane Rutherford, Jayden Seales.