West Indies dropped their teenager for the second ODI in India, and the decision was easy to defend. He made 0 at No. 6 in the first match, caught at slip off Kuldeep Yadav’s googly. The men around him then piled up a record 405/7. Andrew is 19, and West Indies have handled him carefully since his debut at 17. The talent is not in doubt, but a place in this lineup has to be earned with runs, not promise.
From Youngest Debutant to Tour Squad
Andrew was born on 7 December 2006, so he is 19. He debuted in ODIs against Sri Lanka on 26 October 2024, aged 17, becoming West Indies’ youngest ODI debutant. Before this series, he had eight runs from three ODIs, including a duck opening against England in June 2025, when he became West Indies’ youngest ODI opener at 18 years and 176 days.
The pedigree is real. Andrew scored 130 off 96 balls in the 2024 Under-19 World Cup opener against South Africa. He made his List A debut for the Leeward Islands aged 16 and has 406 List A runs at 27.06, with a best of 143. In first-class cricket, he has 958 runs at 29.03, including one century (122). In T20Is, he has 78 runs in five innings at a strike rate of 97.50, with a best of 35.
Jewel Andrew West Indies ODI top order
In India, he batted at No. 6, not as an opener. Kuldeep Yadav’s googly in the 36th over took his bat’s shoulder, and Rohit Sharma caught him at first slip. It was his only innings of the series, and it ended on 0.
Those around him are producing. The table covers the India series up to 30 September 2026.
Player | Batting Position | Innings | Runs | Strike Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
John Campbell | Opener | 2 | 163 | 127.3 |
Justin Greaves | Opener | 1 | 101 | 93.5 |
Shai Hope | Middle order | 2 | 116 | 110.5 |
Jewel Andrew | No. 6 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 |
Justin Greaves maiden ODI century but hurt his calf and missed the second match. Keacy Carty came in, along with Sherfane Rutherford, Keemo Paul and Vitel Lawes, while Andrew, Matthew Forde and Gudakesh Motie were left out.
Kuldeep’s Middle-Overs Test for Newcomers
Kuldeep finished the first ODI with 4/40, removing left-handed Greaves lbw and right-handed Andrew on consecutive balls, so handedness offered no shelter. His damage came in the middle overs, not the powerplay. For a young batter at No. 6, walking in against a wristspinner in the 36th over is about as tough an introduction as India could offer.
The openers have attacked instead. Campbell scored 62 off 60 balls, then reached fifty in 29 balls in the second ODI, the fastest by a West Indian against India. His hundred came in 65 balls, the second-fastest by a West Indian in ODIs. Kuldeep (2/65) and Jadeja (2/75) were both expensive in that match.
A Record 405 Raises the Bar
West Indies made 405/7, their highest ODI total, with hundreds from Campbell (101 off 68), Hope (104 off 94) and Amir Jangoo (114 off 77). Hope’s was his fourth ODI century against India, and he was dropped twice on the way. Scores like those set the standard every newcomer has to meet.
That total came without Greaves and without Andrew. A batting order that clears 400 leaves little room for an experiment at No. 6, and the case for selecting a teenager has to rest on something other than the scoreboard.
Prospect Rather Than Fixture for Now
West Indies have backed youth early, giving Andrew an opening slot at 18. But the top order is scoring heavily without him, and his ODI record, eight runs before this series and a duck in it, is too thin to demand a place. That is not a verdict on his future. A player who has scored 130 in an Under-19 World Cup opener and a first-class hundred will get more chances, and West Indies can afford patience while the order around him thrives.
Greaves is doubtful for the third ODI on 3 October, which may reopen the Jewel Andrew West Indies ODI top order debate. Andrew remains a prospect rather than a fixture.
Should West Indies give their teenager another run at No. 6 in the third ODI, or keep the batting order as it is? Drop your view in the comments.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Who is Jewel Andrew?
Jewel Andrew is an Antiguan right-handed wicketkeeper-batter who plays for West Indies and the Leeward Islands. He debuted in ODIs at 17 against Sri Lanka on 26 October 2024, and has also played T20Is.
How old is Jewel Andrew?
Andrew is 19 years old. He was born on 7 December 2006 and debuted in ODIs aged 17, before opening for West Indies at 18 years and 176 days against England in June 2025.
Is Jewel Andrew a wicketkeeper?
Yes, Andrew is a wicketkeeper-batter. In the first ODI against India, however, he played as a batter at No. 6 and fell for 0 to Kuldeep Yadav, caught at first slip.
Who is West Indies’ youngest ODI debutant?
Andrew holds that record, having debuted aged 17 against Sri Lanka on 26 October 2024. He passed Xavier Marshall’s mark and later became the side’s youngest ODI opener.
What is Jewel Andrew’s highest score in ODIs?
His highest ODI score is 8. His 0 against India left that unchanged after eight runs across his first three ODIs, all of them scored in a single innings.