SportsPosted at: Oct 5 2026 12:18PM


India favourites, but WI arrive with a sting in their tail

Lucknow, Oct 5 (UNI) India may walk into the Bharat Ratna Atal Behari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium on Tuesday wearing the badge of favourites, but West Indies will arrive with something more useful than reputation — the memory of having chased down India's 300-plus total in the final ODI.
That victory may not have won them the ODI series, but it certainly prevented the Caribbean side from leaving India with their confidence bruised. It also gives them a useful psychological weapon as the five-match T20I series begins.
India, meanwhile, have plenty of weapons of their own.
With Shreyas Iyer taking over as captain and Tilak Varma as his deputy, the selectors have mixed experience with youth, leaving the team management with the pleasant problem of deciding whom to leave out.
At the top, Abhishek Sharma is almost certain to figure. The intrigue begins thereafter. Sanju Samson could open, Ishan Kishan could provide the left-hand option in the middle order, while teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi waits for another chance to make the selectors look either inspired or unnecessarily cautious.
There is no shortage of muscle lower down either, with Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Axar Patel capable of adding runs and overs.
The bowling department presents its own little puzzle. With Jasprit Bumrah rested, India will have to find another spearhead. Arshdeep Singh provides experience, Kuldeep Yadav the mystery, while Mayank Yadav and Prince Yadav offer the sort of raw pace that makes batsmen reconsider their life choices.
West Indies, however, are hardly travelling with prayer books in their luggage.
Shai Hope, Nicholas Pooran, Shimron Hetmyer, Rovman Powell and Sherfane Rutherford give the visitors enough firepower to turn a respectable target into a rather uncomfortable one.
Their confidence has also been strengthened by their ODI finale, while Amir Jangoo's inclusion as cover for the injured Jewel Andrew adds another batsman who arrives in good form after an impressive ODI series.
India have the better record, home advantage and considerably greater depth. West Indies have the more dangerous quality in T20 cricket — the ability to make 180 look like a par score before anyone has finished adjusting his sunglasses.
The Lucknow pitch could add another twist. Traditionally slower and friendly to spin, it may bring Axar and Kuldeep into the game, although evening dew could make chasing attractive.
India have won all three of their T20Is at the Ekana, while West Indies have won only one of their four matches at the venue.
On paper, therefore, India have almost everything going for them.
Cricket, fortunately, has never been played on paper.
The first T20I begins at 1900 hrs, with the toss at 1830 hrs.
The series then moves to Ranchi, Indore, Hyderabad and Bengaluru, giving both teams five evenings in which to discover whether statistics are prophecy or merely well-dressed guesswork.
Teams
India: Shreyas Iyer (c), Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Ishan Kishan (wk), Sanju Samson (wk), Tilak Varma (vc), Shivam Dube, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Arshdeep Singh, Prince Yadav, Mayank Yadav.
West Indies: Shai Hope (captain), Roston Chase, Matthew Forde, Shimron Hetmyer, Akeal Hosein, Amir Jangoo, Shamar Joseph, Gudakesh Motie, Keemo Paul, Kamil Pooran, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Quentin Sampson, Romario Shepherd, and Shamar Springer.
UNI BDN
Tags: #India favourites# but WI arrive with a sting in their tail
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