"They have millions of players who can come and do that role" - Nicholas Pooran in awe of Team India's bench strength

West Indies white-ball captain Nicholas Pooran is hoping his side can challenge India's match-winners with the bat and ball in the upcoming white-ball series. The two nations will partake in three ODIs and five T20Is, beginning on July 22.

The Caribbean side enter the one-day series on the back of a humiliating 3-0 defeat against Bangladesh at home. They also suffered 3-0 whitewashes against Pakistan and India earlier this year, casting serious doubts into their ODI gameplan and future.

Pooran was appointed West Indies captain in limited-overs formats following the retirement of Kieron Pollard in May. He began his captaincy stint with a 3-0 win over the Netherlands away from home.

Hoping to challenge the in-form Indian outfit over the course of the tour, Nicholas Pooran told the Times Of India:

"They have millions of players who can come and do that role. They have match-winners with bat and ball and we can come out and challenge them here and Florida, it will send a message across the cricket world. And it will be fabulous for us as a group as well."

West Indies have named a 13-man squad for the three-match ODI series, which features the return of experienced all-rounder Jason Holder.

Addressing the team's current run of form in ODI cricket as of late, Pooran said:

"We are trying to find out the right mindset for ODI cricket. Once we get that, we will be fine, but now it's about forming a template for each format."

He added:

"We are looking forward to the series and our aim is to be competitive and play exciting cricket. We will look to put our best foot forward."

The two-time ICC World Cup winners were far from a competitive side when they toured India earlier this year. Their last bilateral series win against a non-associate nation came in March 2021, when they comfortably beat Sri Lanka 3-0.

---

"It's a blessing in disguise that we will have to play the qualifiers" - Nicholas Pooran

West Indies, who were a force to be reckoned with in the shortest format of the game, have fallen from grace as of late. The side failed to directly qualify for the Super 12s of the 2022 T20 World Cup and will have to play in the qualifiers to be involved among the heavyweights.

Claiming that the two-match T20I series against Australia in October will prove to be helpful while competing in the tournament, Nicholas Pooran said:

"We put ourselves in that position as a team, but that is okay, it happens. We were in a rebellion phase and now we have to start over."

He added:

"It's a blessing in disguise that we will have to play the qualifiers. We have a series there and then the qualifiers will give us enough time to acclimatize ourselves to the conditions Down Under."

West Indies have been slotted along with the likes of Ireland, Scotland and Zimbabwe in Group B of the first round of the T20 World Cup.

Speaking about how the captaincy has treated him so far, Pooran concluded:

"I am enjoying my role and I am doing some bowling too. The guys are supporting me 100% and we can do wonderful things."

The West Indies captain registered figures of 4/48 during their recent ODI sries against Pakistan with his part-time off-spin bowling. He will be prompted to explore his bowling a bit more in the upcoming series in addition to leading from the front with the bat.

Nicholas Pooran's West Indies side will take on India in the first of the three ODIs on Friday (July 22) at the Queen's Park Oval.