West Indies will play three One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and as many Twenty-20 Internationals (T20Is) in India beginning February 6. The respective cricket boards have announced the squads for the series. In 2019, was when the West Indies visited India at the latest, and the hosts won the series 2-1. The Indian squad has had a difficult start to the year, losing both the Test and ODI series in South Africa.
The Indian team will be ecstatic to play their first home series of the season and to do so under the leadership of new limited-overs skipper Rohit Sharma. Rahul Dravid will also be eager to put this best foot forward and claim a series win under his belt. With all said and done, Today we take a look at India’s Best XI that should take the field.
ODI squad: Rohit Sharma (Capt), KL Rahul (vc), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shikhar, Virat Kohli, Surya Kumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, Deepak Hooda, Rishabh Pant (wk), D Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Y Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohd. Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Avesh Khan
— BCCI (@BCCI) January 26, 2022
1) Rohit Sharma
After recovering from his injuries, Rohit Sharma is ready to return to the Indian team as captain. After being named permanent captain, this will be his maiden ODI series. He is eager to lead the club from the front, and his batting numbers are outstanding.
The West Indies is one of the Indian skipper's favorite teams to bat against, and the numbers back up that claim. He has 1523 runs at an average of 60.92 in 33 ODIs against the Windies, with three hundreds and eleven fifties.
2) Shikhar Dhawan
Shikhar Dhawan has established himself as one of the most indispensable members of the ODI squad. His results over the last two years have been incredible, as he has maintained an average of above 55. He scored the most runs for India in the recently finished ODI series against South Africa, and he is anticipated to open the innings alongside Rohit Sharma.
3) Virat Kohli
This series against the West Indies provides the biggest opportunity for this senior player to finally get his century. Kohli has not scored a century in the last two years, and the entire cricketing community and fans are eager to see him do so.
Kohli's most recent ODI century was against the West Indies, and he has nine ODI hundreds against the same team. He has also been freed of his captaincy duties, and he will not have a better opportunity to hit his 44th ODI century. He has faced the maroons 39 times and scored 2235 runs at an average of 72.09.
4) Rishabh Pant
Rishab Pant has established himself as the team's primary choice for the wicketkeeping position. He made his One-Day International debut against the West Indies and has scored 178 runs in nine games against them. He is a fearless batter who has had success at the number four position.
5) KL Rahul
KL Rahul will serve as the Hitman's deputy in this series. With the return of Rohit Sharma, the Indian batsman will most likely bat at number five, putting his top-order batting position in jeopardy.
This dynamic player has had a lot of success at number five, averaging 56.63 points per game. He's also a good spin player, which will be put to the test today. Rahul has 233 runs at an average of 58.25 in four ODIs against the West Indies. It should be mentioned that Rahul will miss the first ODI but will play in the other matches.
6) Suryakumar Yadav
In the ODI series against South Africa, the Indian team lacked middle-order strength. Suryakumar Yadav's presence in the middle of the order would free up the top-order batsmen. SKY has played in four One-Day Internationals and has a remarkable average of 54.43 with a strike rate of 122.55. His speedy thirties and forties might assist the team in putting up a good total.
7) Washington Sundar
Washington Sundar has returned to the ODI squad four years after making his debut. He picked up a wicket in his lone One-Day International against Sri Lanka, conceding 65 runs in ten overs. In One Day Internationals, he is yet to be tried with the bat.
This 22-year-old teenager is noted for his economical bowling in powerplays and can even bat. He'll be a perfect fit for the role that Jadeja has been playing for so long. Sundar returns to the team after a brief absence due to injury. In the Vijay Hazare Trophy, he was the third-highest wicket-taker, and he also made several key cameos with the bat.
8) Deepak Chahar
Deepak Chahar, the right-arm swing bowler, has developed into a valuable member of the team. When the Indian bowlers struggled to pick up wickets in the first two ODIs in South Africa, Deepak Chahar, who was drafted late into the team, took early wickets and produced an exceptional stint.
Apart from his bowling, he almost led the team to victory with his bat, but he was removed for 54 runs after a valiant effort. With the bat, he has an outstanding average of 70.50 and has already taken eight wickets in six ODIs.
9) Shardul Thakur / Kuldeep Yadav
This spot comes down to India’s preference to field two spinners or not. Kuldeep Yadav returns to the ODI squad after missing a few series due to a slump in form. He's appeared in 65 games and taken 107 wickets, including four four-wicket hauls and a fifer.
Shardul Thakur on the other hand has impressed with both bat and ball, making himself a viable option for both phases of the game. With also the knack for taking timely wickets, the playing conditions will influence heavily on who gets this spot.
10) Mohammed Siraj
When it comes to the final two seats, it should ideally not be a contest. Siraj should have an advantage over Prasidh, even though the latter played in South Africa. Siraj is far too good to pass up, and India would be wise not to make the same mistake twice. With the former already impressing in the longer formats of the game, it's about time he wore the blue colors for India
11) Yuzvendra Chahal
Since his international debut in 2016, Yuzvendra Chahal has been an important member of the team. He has been a wicket-taker and has been highly productive in the middle overs alongside Kuldeep Yadav. His last few games, however, did not go as smoothly as he had hoped.
After 2019, this 31-year-old leggie will play at home, and the much-anticipated combo of Kuldeep and Chahal will return to the series. He has appeared in 59 games and has taken 99 wickets with an economy rate of 5.19. Chahal would like to return to his best in the spin-friendly Indian conditions.
Cover Credits: BCCIofficial
