[Watch] Hardik Pandya and Co. gear up for IND vs WI 1st T20I

Hardik Pandya and Co. are gearing up for the first T20I against West Indies (WI), scheduled to be played at the Brian Lara Stadium in Trinidad on Thursday, August 3. The five-match series will give the Men in Blue an opportunity to attune themselves to the conditions for next year’s T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and the United States.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) shared a video of Indian players getting ready for the opening T20I. It captioned the tweet post:

"Team India in all readiness ahead of the T20I series against West Indies"

Watch the video below:

The 20-over format will help the senior Indian players – Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal – to prepare for the upcoming Asia Cup and World Cup.

The likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Tilak Varma will look to take their game to the next level after a successful Indian Premier League (IPL) season. Similarly, Mukesh Kumar will look to make a mark in T20Is after a successful Test and ODI series.

Meanwhile, Arshdeep Singh, Ravi Bishnoi and Avesh Khan will make the most of the platform on their return to the national side with T20Is.

Hardik Pandya’s deputy Suryakumar Yadav will look to deliver big in his favorite format after an average performance in the ODI series. Umran Malik will be keen to find his rhythm after returning wicketless in two games.

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Hardik Pandya has led Team India to a hat-trick series win in T20Is

Since taking charge of the Indian team, Hardik Pandya has led India to three consecutive series wins in T20Is against New Zealand [home (2-1) and away (1-0)] and Sri Lanka (2-1).

On the other hand, Nicholas Pooran will return to the West Indies side after guiding MI New York to the inaugural title in Major League Cricket. The left-handed batter smashed an unbeaten 137 as his team beat Seattle Orcas in the summit clash.

Shimron Hetmyer and Shai Hope will hope to deliver in T20Is after below-par outings in the ODI series, which India won 2-1.

The hosts, though, will hope to return to winning ways in T20Is, after losing the 50-over series. WI beat South Africa 2-1 away from home in T20Is earlier this year.

India’s T20I squad: Ishan Kishan (wk), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Varma, Surya Kumar Yadav (VC), Sanju Samson (wk), Hardik Pandya (C), Axar Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik, Avesh Khan, Mukesh Kumar.