Playing India in their backyard is always a challenge, says Shai Hope

West Indies captain Shai Hope has acknowledged the difficulty of touring India as his team prepares for the first ODI of the three-match series in Thiruvananthapuram on September 27, 2026. The West Indies arrive in India ranked tenth in the world and face a side that has dominated bilateral cricket against them for two decades. Hope's squad includes experienced players such as Roston Chase and Alzarri Joseph alongside fresh faces making their first tour to the country.

Hope reflected on the challenge ahead during the lead-up to the opening match. The West Indies have not won a bilateral series against India in 20 years, and their last series victory on Indian soil came 24 years ago. Since the start of 2025, Hope himself has been West Indies' standout performer in ODI cricket, scoring 869 runs at an average of 51.11, the highest tally for any West Indies batter in the format during that period.

"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 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," said Hope as quoted by Cricinfo.

"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," he added.

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Adapting to Indian conditions

Hope has a strong personal record in India. He has played 11 ODIs in the country and scored 512 runs with two fifties and two centuries, while averaging 56.88. His experience in Indian conditions sets him apart from several members of the touring squad who are visiting the country for the first time. Hope acknowledged that success in India requires a different approach than playing in other parts of the world.

"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. Every day is not 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. Even back in the Caribbean," said Hope.

"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 analysing the opposition and the conditions that we play in," he added.

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Building experience for younger players

Hope expressed optimism about the younger players in the squad and their potential to learn from the tour. The West Indies have struggled for consistency in recent years, winning only 6 of 22 ODIs since the start of 2025. However, Hope believes that exposure to playing against India can help accelerate the development of inexperienced players.

"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 on their behalf. Whenever you come to India, it's one tour you look forward to coming to play. When I was younger in my career as well, it was a tour I was expecting a lot from myself. I wanted to see where I was at," said Hope.

"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 make sure we get the best results from a team perspective. But, for me 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. And if we find ourselves at a crucial moment in the game, if we can grasp that, then I think we'll find ourselves going in the right direction," he added.

Hope acknowledged the statistical reality facing West Indies but expressed determination to break the cycle. The team's failure to automatically qualify for the 2027 ODI World Cup adds extra motivation to the series, with West Indies set to play in the ICC qualification tournament early next year.

"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," said Hope.