West Indies captain Shai Hope has set a clear test for the three-match ODI series against India, and the scoreline is only part of it. Speaking in Thiruvananthapuram on the eve of the opener, he said he wants to see how quickly his players adapt against the best side in the world.
“Playing India in their backyard is always a challenge, and it’s one that we definitely need to grasp and embrace.”
Shai Hope, pre-series press conference, Thiruvananthapuram, September 26, 2026
Three players in the squad have never played in India: spinner Vitel Lawes, Jewel Andrew and Amir Jangoo. Hope said that as a leader, he wants to see “progression” from them. Head coach Daren Sammy has also spoken about the 24-year wait for a series win in India.
Choosing that yardstick is not a soft option. Inside a dressing room, the measure a captain sets decides what young players believe they are playing for.
The West Indies captain wants to see the progress some of his more inexperienced team-mates make on their first tour to India https://t.co/9wUumf4l85
— Cricinfo (@cricinfo) September 26, 2026
West Indies arrive ranked 10th in ODIs, with six wins from 22 matches since the start of 2025. They have not won a bilateral series in India since 2002, and have not beaten India in any bilateral series for 20 years.
They also missed automatic qualification for the 2027 ODI World Cup. The qualifiers in February will be their third straight qualifying campaign.
Hope named consistency as the team’s biggest problem. West Indies have shown sparks in different series, he said, but must repeat them to climb the rankings.
Hope has already done what he is asking of the newcomers. He has 512 runs in 11 ODIs in India at 56.88, and credits adaptability, saying India demands a different approach from Australia, England or the Caribbean.
Shubman Gill leads India, with Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the squad. Here is the India playing XI vs West Indies for the 1st ODI.
| Match | Date | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| 1st ODI | September 27 | Thiruvananthapuram |
| 2nd ODI | September 30 | Guwahati |
| 3rd ODI | October 3 | Mullanpur |
All three matches start at 2pm local time. Five T20Is follow the ODIs.
Insider Read
Every West Indies side that lands in India hears the same numbers before a ball is bowled. Hope admitted the losing record comes up before almost every series. A player on his first tour had no part in 2002 or the 20 years since, yet he walks out carrying it. That weight shows early: batters stop playing their shots, and spinners bowl to avoid being hit rather than to take wickets.
When the captain says out loud that progression is the measure, the dressing room hears it. It tells Lawes, Andrew and Jangoo that learning the pace of an Indian pitch counts, and that winning one crucial passage of play is the target. Players freed from a 24-year scoreline play their own game, and in India a free player adapts faster than a scared one.
Also Read
One Response