The first match of the series between India and West Indies took place on Sunday, September 27, at the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram. Indian captain Shubman Gill won the toss and decided to start the game with a toss.
This match was special for Naman Dira, who made his debut in international cricket. Shubman Gill presented this all-rounder from Punjab with the captain's jersey for his ODI debut during the team meeting.
Naman Dir, who previously played for Mumbai Indians in the IPL (Indian Premier League), received his first spot in the Indian national team. His performances in domestic cricket, franchise cricket, and with India-A attracted selectors' attention, leading to his inclusion in the squad.
However, the decision to exclude fast bowler Mohammad Siraj from the starting XI of the first ODI was unexpected. Naman Dira was preferred instead. Opening batsman Yashasvi Jaiswal, wicketkeeper-batsman Dhruv Jurel, and fast bowler Akib Nabi were also not selected for this match.
Another important reason for including Naman Dira was the absence of Hardik Pandya, who could not participate in the series due to injury. Furthermore, Nitish Kumar Reddy had not yet recovered enough to bowl a full 10 overs. Consequently, the team management included Naman to prepare an additional option among all-rounders. Naman's presence added another bowling option for India. He could also provide the team with a third spin option alongside Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav.
During the toss, captain Shubman Gill stated that India would field with four specialist bowlers, while Nitish Kumar Reddy and Naman Dira would provide balance to the team as two all-rounders. Prasidh Krishna took responsibility for fast bowling, and Gurunoor Barar also bore a significant load. Nitish Kumar Reddy served as the third option for fast bowling.
The West Indies squad included: John Campbell, Justin Griffin, Kesi Carty, Shay Hope (captain/wicketkeeper-batsman), Amir Jangu, Joel Andrew, Roston Chase, Matthew Ford, Gudakesh Motie, Alzari Joseph, and Zaden Silas.
The India squad included: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill (captain), Virat Kohli, Rituraj Gaikwad, KL Rahul (wicketkeeper-batsman), Naman Dira, Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Gurunoor Barar, Kuldeep Yadav, and Prasidh Krishna.