Currently, the West Indies and the Indian squad are engaged in a two-match Test series on the Caribbean coasts. Three One-Day Internationals (ODIs) between the Caribbean team and Rohit Sharma and his team will follow the two games. The Men in Blue’s performance in this ODI match will be essential since it will serve as a litmus test for their preparations for impending major events like the Asia Cup and World Cup 2023.
After four months, the Indian team will be visible wearing a blue jersey, and their goal will be to totally dominate the hosts in the ODI series.
The ODI tournaments on this tour are expected to be dominated by a few players who, with to their grit, tenacity, and talent, could help India win matches.
Here are the five India players to watch out for in the Windies ODI series
1. Yuzvendra Chahal
In the white-ball games, Yuzvendra Chahal will support India’s spin attack. He has so far participated in two ODIs this year, where he has taken three wickets at a 5.82 economy rate. He will attempt to do his best to attend to the major event with confidence before the October-November 2023 World Cup.
He has played exceptionally well against the Windies team, taking 20 wickets in 10 games at an economy rate of 5.40. In four games while playing in the Caribbean, he hunted eight hitters with an economy of 5.86.
West Indies’ confidence will be lower this time because they didn’t make the World Cup 2023, and Chahal will make an effort to maximize the opportunity in light of that. In order to boost India’s spin-bowling unit in the competition, the 32-year-old will also have the assistance of veteran Ravindra Jadeja.
2. Mohammed Siraj
Mohammed Siraj’s bowling will be crucial to the outcome of the contest. His duty will be to offer early breakthroughs to the side in the absence of seasoned players Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah. Siraj made his maiden trip to the West Indies in 2022, playing three games and taking five wickets at an economy of 3.57.
He’ll try to wreck havoc on the Caribbean batters in the forthcoming series with his pace and swing. His efforts will be to make the most of the circumstances and provide the squad with excellent stats with the ball given that West Indies wickets are notorious for supporting fast bowlers.
Siraj has taken 19 wickets this year in just eight games for an economy of 4.61. He recorded nine wickets in three games at an economy of 4.05 during the Sri Lanka series in January, becoming the series’ leading wicket-taker in the three-match ODI format.
3. Ravindra Jadeja
Being a senior member of the Indian ODI team, Ravindra Jadeja’s job will be to strengthen the group with his all-around talent. He will head India’s spin attack with the ball, and team management will look to him to be a particularly strong bowler given his background and abilities.
After suffering a knee injury, the veteran returned to action in an ODI match against Australia in March. He was only able to increase his wicket total by two throughout the three-match competition he played against the Australians, with an economy rate of 4.21. He failed to hit a strong delivery to the side with both the ball and his bat.
He will attempt to rediscover his form before to the 2023 World Cup and the Asia Cup in order to increase his confidence. The 34-year-old has so far participated in 29 one-day internationals (ODIs) against the Windies team, during which time he has taken 41 wickets at a frugal economy of 4.87.
4. Sanju Samson
As a wicketkeeper hitter in the West Indies series, Sanju Samson may be considered as bolstering the group. He will want to put on strong performances with the bat in order to earn a berth in India’s team for the massive ODI competition as the World Cup approaches. In November 2022, Samson faced New Zealand at Eden Park in his final ODI contest.
He hasn’t played an ODI match since, but he will get the opportunity to prove himself against the Caribbeans and draw the selectors’ attention to himself. In his 11 ODI matches thus far, the 28-year-old has amassed 330 runs in 10 innings with a strike rate of 104.76, totaling 330 runs throughout 11 matches.
At the moment, India is hunting for a capable wicketkeeper batter who will excel in the 2023 World Cup. Ishan Kishan hasn’t been consistent with his bat, and the squad management is currently uncertain about KL Rahul’s involvement in the ODI spectacular. Samson, who has participated in both domestic and international competitions, has a chance to gain a berth in the team as the wicketkeeper batter by demonstrating his abilities.
5. Shubman Gill
Shubman Gill will be the focus of attention for the upcoming few months as Indian cricket team supporters anticipate great things from him and want to see him emerge as the nation’s next batting ace in international play. Expectations for Gill are high as the team prepares for the World Cup in 2023. The right-handed hitter will view it as a test and work to demonstrate his effectiveness to the group.
Gill’s role in the upcoming ODI match against the West Indies will be to give the squad a powerful start with his bat. He attracted a lot of attention this year with his electrifying double century against New Zealand at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium.
With his outstanding performance, he also broke the record for the fastest Indian to reach 1000 runs in ODIs. He only managed to score 57 runs in three ODIs during the Australia series, demonstrating his ineffectiveness with the bat. With his aggressive batting style against the Caribbean team, he will aim to be at his best.