CRICKET-Hope relishing opportunity to play against top-ranked India.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, India, CMC – West Indies skipper Shai Hope is eager to play the best side in the world as their One Day International series gets underway here on Sunday.

The 10th-ranked West Indies will be massive underdogs when they come up against number one ranked India in their three-match ODI series, having not won a series on the subcontinent in over two decades.

And even though the regional side will have to go through the Qualifiers to get into the 2027 ICC World Cup, Hope said the opportunity to play India at home was one he hoped the Windies would grab with both hands.

“Playing India in their backyard is always a challenge, and it’s one that we definitely need to grasp and embrace.

“When you come here, you expect the best of the best. It’s a great indicator of where we are as a team. Playing anyone in their home conditions will always be challenging, but it’s something that we always look forward to,” Hope said in a pre-match press conference on Saturday.

“When you’re playing international cricket, you want to play against the best. When they are playing in their home conditions, you get the real test. So, we’re definitely looking forward to it, and it’s going to be an exciting one for us.”

Hope knows much will depend on him if the West Indies are to compete against the home side.

He has a stellar ODI record in India, having played 11 ODIs and scored 512 runs at an average of 56.88.

“I pride myself a lot on trying to be the best that I can be, and one of those things is that you have to be able to adapt—adaptability in different conditions and playing against different opposition.

“It’s not always going to work out. We know it’s a professional sport. Not every day is going to be your day, but I really try to focus on the fine details to give myself the best chance to score runs. Here in India, you’ve got to play differently than when you go to Australia or England or even back in the Caribbean,” Hope explained.

“It’s just about being very critical of the way you go about your training and preparation. That’s something I always try to put out there in team rooms whenever we have our chats and discussions. Just try to pay close attention to detail and the way we go about preparing and analyzing the opposition and the conditions that we play in.”

Beyond being competitive, Hope said he expected some of the younger, inexperienced players like Vitel Lawes, Amir Jangoo and Jewel Andrew to shine during the series.

“It’s a very exciting time, I would say, for these players. Maybe I’m speaking out of turn, but I think I can speak for them. Whenever you come to India, it’s a tour you look forward to playing. When I was younger in my career, I expected a lot from myself on this tour. I want to know where I stand.

“Looking at the group that we have now, a few of the guys haven’t been in India, haven’t played in these conditions before. I look at it as an exciting time. We want to win all the time; we want to get the best results as a team, but personally, as a leader, I want to see progression. I want to see how fast we can adapt against the best in the world and how we can compete,” Hope said.