India's Predicted XI vs West Indies, 1st ODI: Will Team India Choose Ishan Kishan Over Sanju Samson As Wicketkeeper?

After clinching the two-match Test series with 1-0 lead, Team India will be squaring off against West Indies in the first ODI of the three-match series on Thursday in Bridgetown. The Rohit Sharma-led side will use the series against the West Indies to test out a few players to finalise their combinations ahead of the Asia Cup, which will precede the ODI World Cup at home in October-November. Suryakumar Yadav will be aiming to improve his 50-over credentials while Ishan Kishan and Sanju Samson are likely to audition for the wicketkeeper's slot. 

Like the two Tests, India will be expected to dominate the West Indies but the series presents a crucial opportunity for the likes of Suryakumar, Kishan, Samson, Yuzvendra Chahal and Umran Malik.

Here is what we think could be India's playing XI for the first ODI against West Indies: 

Rohit Sharma: The India skipper had a terrific outing in the two-match Test series as he scored 240 runs as emerged as the second highest run-scorer. However, Rohit miserably failed to leave a mark in the last ODI series against Australia as he was only able to score 43 runs in two matches. He will definitely look to begin the preparation for the upcoming ODI World Cup on a good note. 

Shubman Gill: The young opener has proved to be an asset for Team India in all three formats with his aggressive batting style. However, he could not live up to the expectations of the fans in the Test series against West Indies. Earlier, he also failed to register a big score in the three-match ODIs against Australia. Gill will now aim for a strong performance against the Caribbeans. 

Virat Kohli: The star India batter impressed everyone with his heroic 76th international century in the Tests against West Indies. He will look to continue his momentum in the ODIs as well. 

Suryakumar Yadav: The aggressive T20I batter is known for his blistering knocks but has failed to leave a mark in the 50-over format. The ODIs against West Indies will be great opportunity for him to test his batting skills and prepare for the World Cup. 

Ishan Kishan: In the absence of Rishabh Pant, Ishan will be keeping the wickets as the team might show faith in him over Sanju Samson. The 25-year-old wicketkeeper-batter had a promising Test series against West Indies, where he smashed a half-century in just 33 balls. 

Hardik Pandya: The ace all-rounder will aim to improve his performance in the ODIs against West Indies. In the last ODIs against Australia, he scored 66 runs in three matches and scalped four wickets. He definitely has a caliber to deliver more than that. 

Ravindra Jadeja: The all-rounder has impressed everyone ever-since his return to international cricket post his knee surgery. He has been lethal with the ball in all the formats and will look to repeat his heroics in the ODIs against West Indies. 

Shardul Thakur: Shardul is known for his wicket-taking abilities and also for scoring runs in crunch situations. Team India might include him in the Playing XI to strengthen their pace attack. 

Umran Malik: The 23-year-old pacer has been impressing everyone with his blistering speed. So far, he has played eight ODIs and scalped 13 wickets. He will definitely look to grab this opportunity with open arms. 

Kuldeep Yadav: The left-arm wrist spinner was decent with the ball in the ODIs against Australia as he registered a three-wicket haul in the third match. He will now aim to repeat his heroics against West Indies. 

Yuzvendra Chahal: The veteran spinner played his last ODI match against New Zealand in January this year. Team India might include him in the Playing XI in order to have a strong spin-attack.

Topics mentioned in this article

India Cricket Team West Indies Cricket Team Rohit Sharma Shubman Gill Virat Kohli Ishan Kishan Umran Malik Yuzvendra Chahal West Indies vs India, 2023 Cricket West Indies vs India, 1st ODI