3 changes India can make for the 3rd ODI against West Indies

India have wrapped up the three-match ODI series against West Indies with a game to spare, winning both the first and second matches to take an unassailable 2-0 lead. The third and final ODI is scheduled for October 3, 2026, at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur.

With the series already decided, the inconsequential dead rubber offers India captain Shubman Gill and the team management an opportunity to rotate the playing XI and give fringe players some much-needed game time. Here are three changes India can consider for the final ODI.

3 changes India can make for the 3rd ODI against West Indies

3. Nitish Kumar Reddy in for Auqib Nabi

Nitish Kumar Reddy was part of India's playing XI in the 1st ODI at Greenfield International Stadium, Thiruvananthapuram, on September 27, but his ball-in-hand performance proved costly and he did not get a chance to bat. He was subsequently left out of the 2nd ODI, with Auqib Nabi coming in as his replacement. The J&K fast bowler made his international debut in Guwahati but conceded 85 runs in 8.5 overs. With Hardik Pandya's fitness remaining a concern, Reddy's development as an all-rounder is important for India's long-term ODI plans, particularly with the 2027 ODI World Cup in mind. Bringing him back for the 3rd ODI would give him a chance to respond and accumulate valuable international experience.