Yashasvi Jaiswal omitted from India XI for first ODI against West Indies in Thiruvananthapuram
Yashasvi Jaiswal was left out of India’s playing XI for the first One-Day International against the West Indies at Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday; Shubman Gill won the toss and India elected to field. The match began at 2 PM IST as the opening game of the three-match ODI series between the two sides.
The series follows recent defeats for both teams: India lost 1-2 to England and the West Indies went down 3-2 to New Zealand in their last ODI assignments. Several regulars are absent from India’s squad as Jasprit Bumrah, Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan are with the T20I side for the Asian Games 2026, while Hardik Pandya has not recovered from injury. There are new faces in the frame with Naman Dhir and Aquib Nabi receiving maiden ODI call-ups, and Ravindra Jadeja returns to the ODI setup for the first time since January. Fans will see Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in the XI, and India enter the series unbeaten in ODI series against the West Indies since 2006.
The left-hander Yashasvi Jaiswal has featured in six ODIs for India, scoring 285 runs at an average of 71.25 with two centuries. He has posted two hundreds in his last three ODI innings but, according to the match report, has not been afforded many opportunities in the 50-over side. His omission from the playing XI for this opener is the primary selection headline.
India’s top order for the match comprises Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma, a combination the selectors have retained for this fixture. Ruturaj Gaikwad has been named at number four in place of Shreyas Iyer, and Naman Dhir is making his debut in the playing XI. The bowling unit selected for the game lists Gurnoor Brar, Prasidh Krishna and Kuldeep Yadav as the three specialist bowlers, with Ravindra Jadeja and Nitish Reddy included as the two all-rounders.
The report states the selection reflects a deliberate choice to persist with Gill and Rohit at the top of the order. It notes Gill’s role as captain secures his position at the top, and that Rohit Sharma is currently playing only one format, so the team will not alter his batting slot at this stage of his career. The piece also refers to India having 20 odd games left before the 2027 ODI World Cup and frames the decision as part of planning for that period.
With the opener underway, India will aim to begin the three-match series with a victory and maintain their long-running ODI-series record versus the West Indies. Further updates on team news and match progress will follow as the series continues.
