Cricket West Indies on Saturday, 19 September 2026 named its squads for the upcoming limited-overs tour of India, with opening batter Kamil Pooran earning his first-ever T20I call-up and opener John Campbell returning to the ODI side after recovering from a hamstring injury. The series — comprising three ODIs and five T20Is across eight cities — runs from 27 September to 18 October.

Pooran's Breakthrough and Key Squad Changes

Kamil Pooran has been rewarded for a standout run in domestic cricket, having scored 273 runs in eight innings at a strike-rate of 159.64 and an average of 39. The right-hander's maiden T20I selection is among the most notable inclusions in the touring party. Quentin Sampson, who featured in the ICC T20 World Cup earlier this year in India, has also been recalled to the T20I squad. Experienced all-rounder Jason Holder, however, has been rested for the series.

In the ODI unit, John Campbell reclaims his spot after missing the last two matches of the New Zealand home series due to a hamstring problem. Ackeem Auguste, who is continuing rehabilitation following surgery in August, has been replaced by Jewel Andrew, described as an additional option across the top and middle order.

Shimron Hetmyer, who featured in the final two games of the New Zealand series, has been granted an extended recovery window after the Caribbean Premier League and will join the group for the T20I leg of the India tour.

World Cup Qualification Stakes in the ODIs

The opening two ODIs carry extra weight: they constitute the final fixtures of the automatic qualification cycle for the ICC Men's 50-over World Cup. That said, West Indies cannot mathematically overtake their nearest rivals in the qualifying table, meaning they will have to compete in the ICC qualifying tournament early next year regardless of results against India.

West Indies head coach Daren Sammy acknowledged the broader significance of the series. '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 said. '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.'

Building Toward the 2028 T20 World Cup

Sammy indicated that the T20I selections have been made with one eye firmly on the 2028 T20 World Cup. '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 at home will provide valuable preparation, allowing us to continue improving and developing both individually and as a collective unit.'

Travel and Full Squads

The West Indies squad is scheduled to depart the Caribbean on 21 September and arrive in Thiruvananthapuram on 23 September.

West Indies ODI squad: Shai Hope (captain), Jewel Andrew, John Campbell, Keacy Carty, Roston Chase, Matthew Forde, Justin Greaves, Amir Jangoo, Alzarri Joseph, Shamar Joseph, Vitel Lawes, Gudakesh Motie, Keemo Paul, Sherfane Rutherford, Jayden Seales.

West Indies T20I squad: Shai Hope (captain), Jewel Andrew, Roston Chase, Matthew Forde, Shimron Hetmyer, Akeal Hosein, Shamar Joseph, Gudakesh Motie, Keemo Paul, Kamil Pooran, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Quentin Sampson, Romario Shepherd, Shamar Springer.

With World Cup qualification already out of reach via the automatic route, the India series will serve as both a development exercise and a final audition for roles ahead of the 2027 and 2028 global events.