West Indies captain Shai Hope is looking forward to captaining his side into a challenging ODI series against India, terming the series as an important opportunity for his players to test themselves against one of the robust teams. West Indies have a lot to play for after failing to secure direct qualification for the 2027 ODI World Cup and will compete in the qualifying tournament in February. It will be their third consecutive appearance in the qualification process. Meanwhile, the first ODI will be played on Sunday in Thiruvananthapuram.

"Playing India in their backyard is always a challenge, and it's one that we definitely need to grasp and embrace. Especially when you come here, you expect the best of the best. It's a great indicator for us to see 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 at the press conference. 

"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."

West Indies currently sit 10th in the ODI rankings, and challenging India will demand contributions from all players. Furthermore, West Indies are looking to win their first bilateral series against in 20 years. 

"The harsh reality is almost every series that we go into, those stats are always at the top of the list. We always say we haven't beaten this team in 20 years or 15-plus years. You can talk about not automatically qualifying for the World Cup, but certainly some of the strides that we make as a team are definitely commendable. Whenever you come to India and you want to play against the best team, win against the best team. So, it will definitely be added motivation. We know it's going to be a tough uphill battle, but we're looking forward to this one."