#WATCH | Keralam: The West Indies cricket team arrives in Thiruvananthapuram ahead of the ODI series.

(Source: KCA) pic.twitter.com/aseci7tgbF

— ANI (@ANI) September 23, 2026

Welcome @windiescricket

Captain Shai Hope and Head Coach Daren Sammy leading from the front as more West Indies players have arrived in Thiruvananthapuram ahead of the first India vs West Indies ODI on September 27. Kerala welcomes the Caribbean powerhouses in style. #INDvWI pic.twitter.com/N1fMcHHyTW

— KCA (@KCAcricket) September 23, 2026

Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli Return To India's ODI Setup

The presence of Rohit and Virat adds significant interest to the upcoming series, with both experienced batters included in India's ODI plans.

Gill will continue to lead the side as India build towards the 2027 World Cup. Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammed Siraj have also returned to the ODI setup, while Auqib Nabi and Naman Dhir have received their maiden ODI call-ups.

The West Indies series therefore gives India an opportunity to assess a mix of established players and newer options during the ongoing build-up to the global tournament.

India's ODI squad includes Shubman Gill (captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ruturaj Gaikwad, KL Rahul, Dhruv Jurel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Brar, Mohammed Siraj, Auqib Nabi, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Naman Dhir.

Shai Hope Leads West Indies In India

West Indies will be captained by Shai Hope, with the visitors arriving in Kerala ahead of the opening game.

The squad includes John Campbell, who returns after missing the final two ODIs against New Zealand because of a hamstring injury. Jewel Andrew has also been included after Ackeem Auguste was ruled out while continuing his rehabilitation following surgery.

West Indies will play three ODIs and five T20Is during their tour of India, with the overall white-ball series running through October 17.

Shimron Hetmyer is set to join the West Indies squad for the T20I leg after being given additional recovery time following the Caribbean Premier League.

West Indies' World Cup Qualification Battle

The opening two ODIs against India will bring the qualification cycle for the 2027 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup to a close for West Indies.

According to the supplied series information, the Caribbean side cannot overtake its nearest challengers in the standings regardless of the results and will therefore have to go through the qualification tournament early next year.

The India series will nevertheless provide West Indies with an opportunity to assess its squad ahead of the next stage of its World Cup campaign.

India vs West Indies ODI Series Schedule

The opening ODI will take place in Thiruvananthapuram on September 27, followed by the second match in Guwahati on September 30.

The third and final ODI is scheduled for October 3 in New Chandigarh. The five-match T20I series will then begin on October 6 in Lucknow before moving to Ranchi, Indore, Hyderabad and Bengaluru.

The ODI series is therefore India's latest opportunity to test its combinations ahead of the 2027 World Cup, while the return of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli gives the opening contest added attention.

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