Cricket West Indies has officially revealed its national squads for an upcoming high-profile international tour against India, which will run from September 27 through October 18 across eight host cities. The tour, comprising three One Day Internationals and five T20 International matches, will see the Caribbean side, led by captain Shai Hope, face off against the top-ranked team in the world in both formats of the sport.
For the ODI leg of the tour, the selection panel has opted to retain the core group of players that competed in recent home series against Sri Lanka and New Zealand, bringing continuity to the side. One key change sees opener John Campbell return to the roster, having been forced to miss the final two ODIs of the New Zealand series with a hamstring injury. Young batter Ackeem Auguste, who underwent surgery in August, has been ruled out of the tour to continue his post-operative rehabilitation, and his spot has been filled by Jewel Andrew, who provides the side with a flexible batting option capable of featuring in both the top and middle order.
Fan-favorite Shimron Hetmyer, who featured in the closing two matches of the New Zealand ODI series, has been granted an extended recovery break following his participation in the recent Caribbean Premier League (CPL). He will remain available for selection and join the squad ahead of the start of the T20I segment of the tour.
The opening two ODIs of the series mark the final matches of the current automatic qualification cycle for the 2025 ICC Men’s 50-Over World Cup. However, Cricket West Indies has already confirmed that regardless of the results against India, the side cannot climb past its competitors in the qualification standings, meaning the Caribbean team will compete in the ICC secondary qualifying tournament early next year to secure a spot in the main event.
Despite this setback, West Indies head coach Daren Sammy has emphasized the critical value of the series for the team’s ongoing development. “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 explained. “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.”
Turning to the T20I squad, the selection has been heavily focused on nurturing emerging talent for the 2028 T20 World Cup, with exciting young opening batter Kamil Pooran earning his first ever international call-up. The right-handed batter put in an impressive domestic performance ahead of his selection, scoring 273 runs across eight innings at a striking average of 39 and a blistering strike rate of 159.64. Quentin Sampson, who was part of West Indies’ squad at the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup held in India earlier this year, has also been retained in the squad, while experienced all-rounder Jason Holder has been given a rest for this tour to manage his workload.
Sammy noted that the T20I squad has been constructed with an explicit long-term vision to build a competitive core for the next T20 World Cup cycle. “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,” he said. “The challenge of playing against the World Champions will provide valuable preparation, allowing us to continue improving and developing both individually and as a collective unit.”
The full West Indies traveling party will depart the Caribbean on September 21, and is scheduled to arrive in the Indian city of Trivandrum on September 23, two days ahead of the opening match of the tour.