West Indies continue to struggle in One-Day Internationals in 2025 and are in precarious position in the standings for automatic qualification for 2027 ODI World Cup. West Indies have been inconsistent to say the least and their losing run in ODIs continues. They have lost more games than they have won and are in danger of missing out on automatic qualification for the second World Cup in a row. They are in 9th place which is fine but Bangladesh are breathing down their neck.
The qualification goes like this. 2 host nations in South Africa and Zimbabwe will automatically qualify for the marquee tournament. South Africa are in the top 8 while Zimbabwe are in 11th place will qualify ahead of the team that finishes in 10th place. At the moment, that spot is occupied by Bangladesh but they are within touching distance of West Indies. The West Indies continue to lose the matches and the wins that they get are few and far between and that is the real problem for them. There is time, but they have to improve their performance by leaps and bounds to keep its position.
West Indies’ Recent Performance in 2025
It has been a real struggle for the West Indies in ODIs in 2025. In the recent past, it has been loses more than wins that has been the order of the day for West Indies and the latest being a 0-3 whitewash in New Zealand. But this New Zealand defeat is not a one-off performance. If we see their recent ODI performances, it has been unsatisfactory and not upto the mark at all. Some individual performances may have given them wins, but it was few and far between.
If we consider the fixtures from May/June onwards, we will see that West Indies faced off against Ireland in a 3-match ODI series which finished 1-1 with one game rained off. Then they went and faced England in England and got absolutely hammered by Harry Brook and his men losing the 3-match ODI series 0-3. They had their moments and ran England close but that was about it for them.
West Indies then faced Pakistan at home and got a rare series win as after losing the first ODI, they came back to win the next two matches and seal the ODI series 2-1 and it was captain Shai Hope who shone with the bat while Jayden Seales shone with the ball and demolished Pakistan. People may have thought that it is the start of something good for the West Indies but they were back to their old habits of losing.
West Indies travelled to Bangladesh for ODIS and lost the series 2-1 with one win coming in the Super Over thanks to brilliance from captain Shai Hope. But in the decider, they came a cropper and fell to spin as they were thrashed by Bangladesh fair and square to lose the series as Bangladesh gained extra points and climbed closer to the West Indies in the points table.
Then West Indies went to New Zealand for a 3-match ODI series. They ran the Kiwis close in the first 2 ODIs losing the first match by just 7 runs and then New Zealand chased down a big score of 249 in 34 overs in the final over of the game as we had a thriller of a game. But in the third ODI, West Indies dished out a poor display and were bowled out for 161 which New Zealand chased it down by 4 wickets to keep West Indies winless in ODIs.
West Indies are currently in 9th place with 78 points and only 2 points ahead of Bangladesh who are in 10th place. Bangladesh will look forward to the ODI series next and will want to climb above West Indies by winning matches. West Indies won’t want to miss out on automatic qualification because going into the Qualifiers means facing the likes of Ireland, Scotland, Netherlands, to name a few and it will not be easy for the West Indies there.
West Indies’ Poor Performance in New Zealand
West Indies faced New Zealand in New Zealand in ODIs knowing that the challenge ahead will be tough and they have to play out of their skins to win. New Zealand have a terrific ODI record at home since 2019 and were upbeat about their chances. West Indies knew they had their task cut out and with their top order not firing we knew it would be hard work for West Indies.
West Indies were upbeat about playing the 3-match ODI series and hoped to get at least one win to get crucial points on the board. But that was not to be as they lost all three matches to lose the series 0-3. They faced New Zealand in the first ODI at Christchurch and came back from the brink to almost win the game but lost it again by 7 runs. The lower and middle order is working for West Indies but the top and middle order isn’t firing at all.
In the second game in Napier which was rain reduced 34-over game, West Indies scored 248/9 on the back of a magnificent century from captain Shai Hope. While defending the score though, the bowlers were all over the place and bowled badly to give it away as New Zealand held their nerves to win by 4 wickets chasing such a big total with 3 balls to spare. The series was done and dusted after the first two games.
They kept their worst performance in ODIs for the last at Seddon Park in Hamilton. They won the toss and surprisingly decided to bat first and the batters crumbled and fell at regular intervals as people got starts but no one went through with the innings. They folded for 161 in 36.2 overs which left New Zealand chasing 162 for the win which the hosts chased it in 30.3 overs with 4 wickets in hand. The top and middle order are a problem for the West Indies while death bowling is an issue that they must address as well.
West Indies have a lot of work to do. All is not lost for them, as they need to start winning and climb upwards in the table. They have till May/June 2026 to improve their standings from here or else they will have to play Qualifiers once again against good teams like Ireland, Netherlands, Scotland to name a few and things are not easy as West Indies found out the hard way. It remains to be seen if West Indies bounces back and automatically qualify for the World Cup 2027.
Also Read: NZ vs WI: Shai Hope’s Unbeaten Ton Powers West Indies To 247/9 In 34 Overs