West Indies Squad Announced For India Series: Shai Hope to Lead; Kamil Pooran Called Up

Cricket West Indies has named its squads for three ODIs and five T20Is against India from September 27 to October 18, with Shai Hope set to lead both sides on a tour that stretches across eight cities.

West Indies will meet the top-ranked side in both formats. The ODI group keeps most of the players who took part in the recent home series against Sri Lanka and New Zealand.

ODI Squad Changes

John Campbell returns after missing the final two ODIs against New Zealand because of a hamstring injury. Ackeem Auguste misses out as he continues his rehabilitation after surgery in August.

Jewel Andrew replaces him in the squad. West Indies have picked him as a top- and middle-order batting option.

The first two ODIs will end the automatic qualification cycle for the ICC Men’s 50-Over World Cup, but West Indies cannot go past their nearest challengers in the standings regardless of the results. That means they will play in the ICC qualification tournament early next year.

Head Coach Daren Sammy stressed the value of the series despite that backdrop. “Playing against the top team in the world presents us with a chance to fine tune and improve our performances as an ODI team which has seen quality performances across the cycle”, Sammy told AP. “The series also creates a valuable platform to assess players who are stepping into important roles for this series with a long-term target of competing in the World Cup in 2027.”

T20I Talent Push

The T20I squad includes Kamil Pooran and Quentin Sampson.

Shimron Hetmyer, who played the last two matches of the New Zealand series, has been allowed an extended recovery period after the CPL. He remains committed and will join the squad for the T20 series in India.

Kamil Pooran has earned his maiden T20I call-up. The right-handed batter scored 273 runs in eight innings at a strike rate of 159.64 and averaged 39, numbers that helped push him into the squad as West Indies look ahead to the 2028 T20 World Cup.

Quentin Sampson also comes in after being part of the ICC T20 World Cup squad earlier this year in India. Jason Holder has been rested for the series.

Sammy linked the selections to a longer plan after West Indies’ series win against Sri Lanka. “We are looking to build on the momentum from our series win against Sri Lanka, with the long-term goal of developing a strong core of players ahead of the next T20 World Cup. The challenge of playing against the World Champions at home will provide valuable preparation, allowing us to continue improving and developing both individually and as a collective unit”, Sammy told AP.

Tour Logistics Update

West Indies depart the Caribbean on September 21 and arrive in Trivandrum on September 23.

The Team Management Unit includes:

• Head Coach: Daren Sammy

• Manager: Rawl Lewis

• Assistant Coach (Batting): Floyd Reifer

• Assistant Coach (Bowling): Ravi Rampaul

• Assistant Coach (Fielding): Rayon Griffith

• Physiotherapist: Dr. Denis Byam

• Strength & Conditioning Coach: Darc Browne

• Massage Therapist: Dane Currency

• Performance Analyst: Avenesh Seetaram

• Content & Media Officer: Jerome Foster

The full tour schedule is:

• 1st ODI: September 27, Thiruvananthapuram

• 2nd ODI: September 30, Guwahati

• 3rd ODI: October 3, New Chandigarh

• 1st T20I: October 6, Lucknow

• 2nd T20I: October 9, Ranchi

• 3rd T20I: October 11, Indore

• 4th T20I: October 14, Hyderabad

• 5th T20I: October 17, Bengaluru

West Indies ODI squad: Shai Hope (captain), 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

West Indies T20I squad: Shai Hope (captain), Jewel Andrew, Roston Chase, Matthew Forde, Shimron Hetmyer, Akeal Hosein, Shamar Joseph, Gudakesh Motie, Keemo Paul, Kamil Pooran, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Quentin Sampson, Romario Shepherd and Shamar Springer