India is set to begin their ODI campaign against West Indies on Friday evening. The Men in Blue recently won in their most recent ODI series against England earlier in July, following which senior players such as Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah and Rohit Sharma have been rested for the upcoming series. This has enabled some youngsters to fill in their spots and get some regular game time in the series versus West Indies.

Meanwhile, West Indies are having a bleak time in the ODI format in 2022. The Windies are on a six-match losing streak in ODI this year. The situation has reached a point where their coach Phil Simmons and skipper Nicholas Pooran has asked the team to ensure batting the full 50 overs, which they have been unable to do nine out of 12 times they batted first since January 2021.

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The Indian camp was handed a blow recently, when KL Rahul was tested positive for COVID-19. Added to that, less than 24 hours before the ODI opener, reports emerged suggesting vice-captain Ravindra Jadeja has picked up an injury, leaving a very young team without even more experience. It has not been confirmed by the BCCI till now, however, if true, it will be a concern for Shikhar Dhawan and Rahul Dravid, who would like to keep their winning run going.

Here are India’s predicted 11 for the first ODI against West Indies:

1. Shikhar Dhawan (C): Leading the Indian team in absence of Rohit Sharma, Dhawan will also be opening for the Men in Blue. This is his second’s series as captain, following the Sri Lanka tour. The 36-year-old left handed batter will look to begin with a positive approach so the youngsters are eased in the lineup later.

2. Ishan Kishan (wk): The left-handed opening batter will be looking to cement the opening spot as his own and prove to the selectors he has what they are looking for in a trustworthy opener. 

3. Shreyas Iyer: With Virat Kohli being rested for the tour of West Indies, Shreyas Iyer will be filling in his spot for the Indian maverick. While Kohli has failed to score any significant runs recently, the 27-year-old right handed batter will also look to impress the selectors once again. 

4. Sanju Samson: The 27-year-old right-handed batter will be eager to take the field against West Indies. Samson has often been overlooked in favour of other players and if handed a start, he will look to replicate his performance from the Ireland tour.

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5. Suryakumar Yadav: One of the standout performers from India’s series win over England recently. Yadav will be eager to replicate his performance in the Port of Spain and maybe even score his maiden ODI century. 

6. Deepak Hooda: While he is yet to showcase his complete talent set, Hooda is certainly a very good batter on his day. The 27-year-old made his debut earlier in 2022 and caught many eyes with his century against Ireland. If given a chance, Hooda will once again look to prove himself against a much more serious opponent than Ireland.

7. Axar Patel: The 28-year-old all-rounder did not have a great time against Ireland. However, he would look to redeem himself against the West Indies.

8. Shardul Thakur: Will probably be the replacement for Jadeja in the team. According to reports, Jadeja has picked up an injury and will be out for the ODI series. Thakur seems to be the first choice to replace him and he will look to excel in the role.

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9. Prasidh Krishna: Did not have a great time against England. However, the right-arm quick was deemed the Man of the Series against West Indies at home after picking up nine wickets in a three-match ODI series earlier in 2022. Krishna will certainly look to replicate that performance in Port of Spain.

10. Yuzvendra Chahal: Coming from a successful campaign against England, when he recorded his best ever ODI figure. Chahal was also one of the best Indian performers when India hosted West Indies at home earlier this year, when he claimed four wickets in the first ODI. 

11. Mohammed Siraj: A decent campaign against England will see a confident Siraj take on West Indies and look to build on his earlier performance.