Guwahati is where India’s batters should chase the biggest hundreds in this series. Barsapara Stadium has produced five centuries in just two ODIs and averages 347.5 in the first innings, far ahead of anything Thiruvananthapuram or New Chandigarh can show. The series opens at Greenfield on 27 September, moves to Guwahati on 30 September and finishes in New Chandigarh on 3 October. Only two of those grounds have staged a men’s ODI, so the samples are thin, but the evidence still leans one way.
India’s Home Hundreds Against West Indies
Rohit Sharma owns this fixture on home soil. He has 1,118 runs at 69.87 in 19 home ODIs against West Indies, with three hundreds of 162, 159 and 152*. That last one came at Guwahati, which matters for everything that follows.
Virat Kohli piled up 453 runs and three hundreds in the 2018 home series alone. His career tally of nine ODI hundreds against West Indies makes him the likeliest centurion in any India side. Shubman Gill sits on 331 runs at 66.20 in six ODIs against them, but his best is 98*, so the three-figure mark is still missing.
The ceiling for this contest was set long ago. Virender Sehwag’s 219 at Indore in 2011 remains the highest score in the fixture. Any India batter hunting a record this month is chasing that number, not Rohit’s 162.
IND vs WI 2026 ODI venues
Ranking the three grounds comes down to volume against peak. Guwahati’s first-innings average of 347.5 comes from totals of 322 and 373, while Greenfield’s 247 rests on 104 and 390. That gap of roughly 100 runs puts Barsapara first for volume.
Greenfield ranks second because it owns the highest individual score of the three. New Chandigarh comes last only because there is nothing to rank yet. West Indies also posted 322 batting first in Guwahati, which shows the surface rewards the side batting first as well as the chasers.
Venue | ODIs hosted | Average first-innings score | Highest individual score | Hundreds scored |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Barsapara, Guwahati | 2 | 347.5 | 152* (Rohit Sharma) | 5 |
Greenfield, Thiruvananthapuram | 2 | 247 | 166* (Virat Kohli) | 2 |
New Chandigarh | 0 | No men’s ODI | No men’s ODI | 0 |
Guwahati’s Twin Hundreds From 2018
October 2018 showed what this ground can do. West Indies posted 322/8, led by Shimron Hetmyer’s 106. Rohit then hit 152* off 117 balls, and Kohli added 140 off 107, putting on 246 for the second wicket. India won by eight wickets with 47 balls to spare. The ground delivered again in January 2023, when Kohli made 113 off 87, and Dasun Shanaka answered with 108* as India posted 373/7 and beat Sri Lanka.
That makes five hundreds in two ODIs, more than the other two grounds combined. Rohit and Kohli both have centuries here, so the 30 September match is the likeliest stage for a big innings.
Greenfield’s Split Personality in Thiruvananthapuram
Greenfield’s two ODIs could hardly look less alike. In November 2018, West Indies were bowled out for 104, and India knocked off the runs in 14.5 overs. In January 2023, India made 390/5 against Sri Lanka, with Kohli unbeaten on 166 and Gill scoring 116. The margin was 317 runs. So the ground holds the biggest individual score of the three, yet its 247 average swings too wildly to trust.
Weather adds another layer. Forecasts listed a 78% rain chance for the opener, which could shorten the game before anyone gets settled. A reduced-overs match rarely produces a hundred, so India’s best batters may have to wait for Guwahati.
New Chandigarh Starts From a Blank Page
No men’s ODI has been played at New Chandigarh. The stadium has been Punjab Kings’ IPL home since 2024, and its two women’s ODIs in September 2025 produced first-innings totals of 281/7 and 292.
Smriti Mandhana’s 117 is the top score from those games. IPL figures show six matches, a 173 first-innings average and Suryakumar Yadav’s 78 as the best score, though that tally may miss recent seasons. Batters walking out there will work with far less certainty than at the other two grounds. That thin record makes the 3 October finale the hardest of the IND vs WI 2026 ODI venues to read. If India want a statement hundred, Guwahati remains the safest bet.
Will Rohit or Kohli be the one to cash in at Barsapara on 30 September? Tell us your pick in the comments.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Where is the India vs West Indies 1st ODI in 2026?
The opener is at Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram. It starts at 2:00 PM IST on 27 September 2026, with Guwahati and New Chandigarh hosting the next two games.
What is the highest ODI score at Greenfield Stadium?
Virat Kohli’s unbeaten 166 against Sri Lanka is the highest ODI score at Greenfield. He made it on 15 January 2023, when Shubman Gill also scored 116 in India’s 390/5.
Who has scored the most ODI runs at Barsapara Stadium?
Virat Kohli leads with 253 runs from two ODIs at Barsapara. He scored 140 and 113 there, while Rohit Sharma follows with 235 from knocks of 152* and 83.
What is the highest individual score in India vs West Indies ODIs?
Virender Sehwag’s 219 is the highest individual score in the fixture. He made it off 149 balls at Indore on 8 December 2011, and no batter has topped it since.
Has New Chandigarh hosted a men’s ODI?
No, New Chandigarh has never hosted a men’s ODI. The ground has staged two women’s ODIs, both in September 2025, with first-innings totals of 281/7 and 292 in those games.