West Indies coach Sammy looking at India series as opportunity to finetune ahead of ODI World Cup 2027 qualifiers
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "West Indies coach Sammy looking at India series as opportunity to finetune ahead of ODI World Cup 2027 qualifiers")
WI coach Sammy looking at India series to finetune ahead of ODI WC qualifiers Photograph: (AFP)
West Indies view their upcoming ODI series in India as crucial prep for the 2027 World Cup qualifiers, while India look to refine their squad around veterans Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.
West Indies coach Daren Sammy is looking at the upcoming ODI series against India as an opportunity to fine-tune the team ahead of their ODI World Cup 2027 qualifiers in February. The West Indies have failed to qualify directly for the ODI World Cup for the second time in a row, after only the top eight teams - apart from co-hosts South Africa - were given direct entry for the marquee event. Sammy, however, has accepted the reality and views the India series as a chance to measure the team and improve from there. The three-match ODI series between West Indies and India starts on Sunday, with the first match scheduled to be played in Thiruvananthapuram.
Sammy on what the India series means for the West Indies
"It's been 24 years since we've won a series here in India," Sammy said on Thursday (Sept. 24) while talking to reporters. "So it's a great opportunity for us as a team to come out here, challenge ourselves, and measure where we are in ODIs. And I think it's a great opportunity for us, with the players that we have, to come and put on a good show against India and look to win a series — something we've not done in 24 years."
"If you want to win a major ICC event, especially in the white-ball format, you have to beat India," he added. "And us playing them here at home in their conditions, performing well, and winning gives us a fair idea as to what we can do as a team and how capable we are of competing on the world stage. Heading into the qualifiers in February, you know, that is our No. 1 focus — continuing to fine-tune the team so that when we go to the qualifiers, we put ourselves in a position to book our ticket to South Africa."
India looks to Virat and Rohit as countdown to ODI World Cup 2027 begins
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The hosts, India, who lost the last ODI World Cup final at home in 2023, will also be looking at the series as a key phase of preparation for the marquee event. The focus will be on veterans Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who have faced constant scrutiny over their chances of playing in the ODI World Cup 2027 after retiring from T20Is and Tests.
Along with them, all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, who also retired from T20Is along with Rohit and Virat in 2024, will be hoping to make his case for the 50-over World Cup.
