West Indies face India in a three-match ODI series starting September 27, with Daren Sammy viewing the contest as a chance to assess the team's standing ahead of World Cup qualifiers in February.
West Indies have not won a bilateral ODI series in India for 24 years, a drought that Daren Sammy is determined to end when the teams meet in a three-match contest beginning September 27 in Thiruvananthapuram. The series continues in Guwahati on September 30 and concludes in New Chandigarh on October 3, arriving at a critical juncture for the Caribbean side as they prepare for ODI World Cup qualifiers scheduled for February.
Sammy framed the India series as both an immediate challenge and a strategic assessment opportunity ahead of the qualifiers. The West Indies missed automatic qualification for the 2027 ODI World Cup, finishing ranked 10th when only the top eight teams besides co-hosts South Africa qualify directly. Even a clean sweep against India would not be sufficient to overtake the qualification deficit, meaning the West Indies must enter the qualifiers for the third successive time.
"It's been 24 years, we've not won a series here in India. So it's a great opportunity for us as a team to come out here and challenge ourselves and measure up ourselves as to where we are in ODIs. And I think it's a great opportunity for us, the players that we have, to come and put in a good show against India and look to win a series, something we've not done in 24 years," said Sammy as quoted by Cricinfo.
Why the India series matters for West Indies' World Cup plans?
Sammy emphasised the importance of performing well against India in their home conditions as a measure of the team's readiness for the global stage. The West Indies started their qualification cycle 19 to 20 points behind the automatic qualification mark but accumulated points to fall only six points short, demonstrating measurable progress despite missing direct entry to the World Cup.
"If you have to win a major ICC event, especially in the white-ball format, you have to beat India. And we playing them here at home in their conditions and performing well and winning gives us a fair idea as to what we could do as a team and how capable we are in 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," said Sammy.
Young talent emerging in the West Indies squad
Sammy was also pleased with the emergence of wristspinner Vitel Lawes. The 19-year-old made his ODI debut against New Zealand in July and picked up eight wickets in five games. Sammy also referenced contributions from players including Shai Hope, Amir Jangoo, Sherfane Rutherford and Alzarri Joseph as part of the team's evolving composition. The West Indies departed on September 21 and arrived in Thiruvananthapuram on September 23, with Ackeem Auguste absent due to recovery from surgery in August; Jewel Andrew was named as his replacement in the ODI squad. Shimron Hetmyer was granted extended recovery following the CPL and will join the T20 squad.
"Shai Hope is not the only one scoring hundreds. We've gotten hundreds from different players... Amir Jangoo, the way he's played, we've seen a glimpse of Sherfane [Rutherford]. I think in 2024-2025, we were looking for that type of form. Alzarri Joseph is back bowling well, just helped Antigua win a CPL title. So yes, we want to give everybody an opportunity in those three games," said Sammy.
"Vitel, to me, he's a find for us. What we saw in him that caused him to debut against New Zealand was all part of the planning and the processes we put in place. You've heard me for years talking about a wristspinner in the West Indies team. And Vitel, he came in and he immediately had an impact on the bowling unit for us. Still got a long way to go but we will continue with his development through either playing games or the specific work we've put in place for him. He's worked really well with Nikita Miller and Ravi Rampaul here on tour. So yes, we'll continue creating those opportunities for him and hopefully he could continue to grow. A little bit fast-tracked but we're pleased with what he's done so far," he added.