India Hand Dhir First ODI Cap; Gill Opts To Field Against West Indies

India captain Shubman Gill won the toss and decided to bowl first against West Indies in Sunday’s opening match of the ODI series at Greenfield International Stadium.

Naman Dhir earned his maiden international cap, while Mohammed Siraj was left out.

Dhir entered the squad after finishing as the leading scorer in the Sher-e-Punjab T20 competition. He amassed 655 runs at a remarkable strike rate of 217.61.

The teams have now begun their respective campaigns towards the 2027 Men’s ODI World Cup, but their immediate priorities differ.

India have kept faith in an established group, with experienced batters Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli featuring in the lineup.

West Indies, meanwhile, are looking to refine their team combination as they face a challenging route through the Qualifiers to reach the tournament.

Gill said India had selected four specialist bowlers alongside two all-rounders. The side’s spin resources include Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav and debutant Dhir.

“The preparation’s been good. The weather’s been a little bit up and down, raining here and there, but still I think the preparation has been pretty good,” Gill said.

West Indies captain Shai Hope confirmed that his team would play three seamers and two spinners. John Campbell returned to the side following surgery.

“Guys looking forward to playing against India. We got to make sure we have a big score on the board. I hope we can finish well with the ball. This city is the closest thing to the Caribbean,” he said.

India: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill (c), Virat Kohli, Ruturaj Gaikwad, KL Rahul (wk), Naman Dhir, Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Gurnoor Brar, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna.

West Indies: John Campbell, Justin Greaves, Keacy Carty, Shai Hope (c & wk), Amir Jangoo, Jewel Andrew, Roston Chase, Matthew Forde, Gudakesh Motie, Alzarri Joseph, Jayden Seales.

Also Read: India vs West Indies ODI Opener: Date, Venue And How To Watch