Rohit, Kohli in focus as India begin home ODI season against West Indies

Thiruvananthapuram: With their on-field presence turning routine bilateral matches into marquee events, all eyes will expectedly be on veterans Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli when a depleted Indian side kicks off its 2026/27 home international season through the first ODI against the West Indies, to be played at the Greenfield International Stadium on Sunday.

The series officially starts a long road of playing 50-over matches for skipper Shubman Gill and his Indian team to prepare for next year's 50-over World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia. But while the team management grapples with the absence of players due to a combination of injuries and the Asian Games happening in Japan, the overarching public narrative continues to swirl around the two stalwarts – Rohit and Kohli.

Rohit, who emphatically quashed speculation surrounding his future with a blistering 138 against England at Lord's in July, finds his tactical role under keen observation. Post the 2025 Champions Trophy, the former India captain has hit two centuries in 15 innings. But eight scores under 30 and a noticeably tempered scoring rate during the field restrictions have sparked concerns over his powerplay batting plan.

On the other hand, Kohli arrives with his usual purpose and energy. The star top-order batter stands just 51 runs shy of becoming only the second player in cricket history after Sachin Tendulkar to breach the 15,000-run milestone in ODI cricket. Having registered eight fifty-plus scores across his last 12 outings, Kohli's current consistency gives India’s batting line-up a rock-solid look.

Beyond the two focal figures, India's broader tactical challenge lies in balancing a makeshift line-up. With premier fast-bowling all-rounders Hardik Pandya and Harshit Rana sidelined through injury rehabilitation, and spin-bowling options Axar Patel and Washington Sundar away on Asian Games commitments in Aichi-Nagoya, Nitish Kumar Reddy is virtually guaranteed a place in the playing eleven.

Veteran left-arm spin bowling all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja will helm the spin contingent alongside left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav. Uncapped Jammu and Kashmir all-rounder Auqib Nabi has also earned a maiden call-up to bolster depth, but with Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna and Gurnoor Brar in the squad, he will wait for his chances, so as Naman Dhir.

For Shai Hope's West Indies squad, coming off tight series losses to New Zealand and Sri Lanka, the series offers a fresh opportunity for them to test an Indian team missing several core match-winners, especially with them set to play ODI World Cup qualifiers next year. Curious eyes will also be on 19-year-old wristspinner Vitel Lawes, who made his ODI debut against New Zealand in July and picked up eight wickets in five games.

India: 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 Siraj, Auqib Nabi, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Naman Dhir.

West Indies: Shai Hope (c), 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, and Jayden Seales.