As his team prepares for the first ODI of the three-match series in Thiruvananthapuram on September 27, 2026, West Indies captain Shai Hope has acknowledged the difficulties of flying to India. The West Indies, ranked tenth in the world, head to India to face a squad that has dominated bilateral cricket against them for two decades. Hope’s team includes experienced players like as Alzarri Joseph and Roston Chase, as well as newbies on their first national tour.
Before the first game, Shai Hope reflected on the challenges that lay ahead. The West Indies last won a series on Indian soil 24 years ago, and they have not won a bilateral series with India in 20 years. Shai Hope has been the West Indies’ greatest player in ODIs since the beginning of 2025. He has scored 869 runs at an average of 51.11, the most by any West Indian hitter in the format during that time.
Getting acclimated to the Indian circumstances
In India, Shai Hope has a proven track record. In 11 ODIs for the nation, he averaged 56.88 and scored 512 runs, including two fifties and two hundreds. Unlike several of the travelling team members who are visiting India for the first time, he is familiar with Indian conditions. Hope acknowledged that playing in India requires a different strategy than in other parts of the world.
Giving younger players more experience.
Shai Hope was positive about the squad’s younger players and their capacity to learn from the tour. Since the start of 2025, the West Indies have only won six out of 22 ODIs, illustrating their lack of consistency in recent years.
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Shai Hope, on the other hand, believes that exposing new players to playing against India will help them grow faster.
While admitting the statistical reality of the West Indies, Hope emphasised her determination to break the pattern. With the West Indies set to compete in the ICC qualification tournament early next year, the team’s failure to automatically qualify for the 2027 ODI World Cup offers the series added traction.
