Greenfield International Stadium: With their on-field presence turning routine bilateral matches into marquee events, all eyes will expectedly be on veterans Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli when a depleted Indian side kicks off its 2026/27 home international season through the first ODI against the West Indies, to be played at the Greenfield International Stadium on Sunday.
The series officially starts a long road of playing 50-over matches for skipper Shubman Gill and his Indian team to prepare for next year's 50-over World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia. But while the team management grapples with the absence of players due to a combination of injuries and the Asian Games happening in Japan, the overarching public narrative continues to swirl around the two stalwarts – Rohit and Kohli.
Rohit, who emphatically quashed speculation surrounding his future with a blistering 138 against England at Lord's in July, finds his tactical role under keen observation. Post the 2025 Champions Trophy, the former India captain has hit two centuries in 15 innings. But eight scores under 30 and a noticeably tempered scoring rate during the field restrictions have sparked concerns over his powerplay batting plan.
