India’s three-match ODI series against West Indies, beginning Sunday, presents an interesting clash of priorities for the national team.

While the immediate objective will obviously be to win the series, captain Shubman Gill and the team management also have an opportunity to test several fringe players with next year’s World Cup firmly in the background.

A number of India’s regulars are currently in Japan for the Asian Games. Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Axar Patel, Shivam Dube and Washington Sundar are all unavailable for the West Indies series, creating openings for several players who have been waiting for their opportunity.

With Hardik Pandya still not fit for selection, the selectors withdrew Nitish Reddy from the Asian Games squad, allowing him to return to the ODI setup. Reddy, who last played an ODI in June, is expected to slot into the lower order and could provide India with the all-rounder option they have been searching for.

Ravindra Jadeja is another major name returning to the format. Jadeja has not played an ODI since January and should walk straight into the XI, while Mohammed Siraj is also set to make his first ODI appearance since January.

Ruturaj Gaikwad could replace Iyer at No. 4, giving him another opportunity to make his case in the middle order. Meanwhile, Kuldeep Yadav will be keen to add to his 121 ODI appearances and establish himself as a regular part of India’s plans.

There could also be opportunities for newcomers, with Auqib Nabi and Naman Dhir in contention for ODI debuts during the series.

For Gill, then, this is more than just a three-match series. It is an opportunity to look beyond the immediate, assess India’s depth and begin shaping the squad that could eventually travel to the next World Cup.

And that makes the first question an intriguing one: what should India’s playing XI look like on Sunday?

Here’s my prediction: 1 Shubman Gill (capt), 2 Rohit Sharma, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Ruturaj Gaikwad, 5 KL Rahul (wk), 6 Ravindra Jadeja, 7 Nitish Reddy, 8 Gurnoor Brar, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Prasidh Krishna, 11 Mohammed Siraj