Focus will be on Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli as India return to ODI action in the first of three-match ODI series against West Indies, starting on Sunday at the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram. Having already retired from Tests and T20Is, both Rohit and Virat are active only in the 50-over format, with an eye on 2027 ODI World Cup.
The last time both the players played in an India shirt was during India’s ODI series loss in England. While Virat is coming after two half-centuries in England, Rohit smashed a critic-shutting 138 in a losing cause. With several first-team names on Asian Games 2026 duty, captain will have to manage a few spots in the series.
The top three spots are already blocked with Rohit and Shubman opening the innings and Virat coming at no.3. In the absence of Shreyas Iyer, India might play , who didn’t get to bat in his last ODI in December, 2025, against South Africa at Visakhapatnam, at no.4.
KL Rahul will don the big gloves and bat at no.5. Hardik Pandya’s injury will give Nitish Kumar Reddy some breathing space in this series, after the Andhra Pradesh all-rounder was among the wickets against Afghanistan in the T20Is. Reddy’s challenge will be more than four overs.
Spin-bowling all-rounder comes in at no.7, and will have left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav as a companion. In the pace attack, Prasidh Krishna and Mohammed Siraj are sure shot starters with the final spot among pacers will be a tussle between Gurnoor Brar and .
Hailing from Jammu and Kashmir, Nabi came into limelight with 100 wickets in two consecutive seasons. He was taken to Sri Lanka in the Test series, but didn’t get a chance to play. Post that he went to England to play county championship for Surrey and picked up eight wickets in two matches, including a four-wicket haul.
Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Ruturaj Gaikwad, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Gurnoor Brar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, and Prasidh Krishna
West Indies predicted XI vs India: John Campbell, Shai Hope (c & wk), Keacy Carty, Sherfane Rutherford, Roston Chase, Justin Greaves, Matthew Forde, Gudakesh Motie, Alzarri Joseph, Jayden Seales, Shamar Joseph.
Shubman Gill (C), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ruturaj Gaikwad, KL Rahul (VC), Dhruv Jurel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Brar, Mohammed Siraj, Auqib Nabi, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Naman Dhir.
