India vs West Indies 1st T20I: Preview and Predicted Playing XI

India and West Indies face each other in the final chapter of Windies 2018 tour, with the hosts having triumphed 2-0 in the Test series followed by a 3-1 thumping in ODI series. Now both will aim to take an early lead in the first T20I at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Sunday, November 4.

Despite wins in both formats, T20 is the format where Carribeans becomes a team to reckon with. This can be proved by the fact that Men in Blue managed just two wins in their seven T20I outings against them. So one can't take them lightly.

In their most recent T20I outing at Kingston in July 2017, West Indies emerged victorious by nine wickets. After being put into bat first, India posted 190/6 on the board but failed to defend that total as the Windies cantered home with nine balls to spare.

India

Men in Blue have played 13 T20Is this year, out of which they have won 10 and lost 3. Their most recent assignment in this format came in July in England. It was a three-match bilateral series against the British, which India finished winning 2-1. While, after their thumping wins against Windies in both formats, they will begin as favourites.

Batting

Indian top order will once again be key against the Carribeans. Skipper Rohit struck two centuries and a fifty in the ODI series and he will be eager to replicate his success in the shortest format. While KL Rahul is coming off an impressive outing in the T20I series against England and he is expected to start the series off with a big knock.

Except these two India will have a lot of hopes on Rishabh Pant, who has been given an opportunity to prove his worth in T20I format. Shikhar Dhawan had an odd outing in the ODIs and he will aim to answer his critics with a good knock.

Bowling

Kuldeep Yadav ended as a leading wicket-taker in ODI series and will be expected to spin a web around the opponents in T20I as well. While Jasprit Bumrah was not an easy hit for visitors in ODI series as he ended the series with an economy of less than three and he will be eager to put those shackles in upcoming fixtures too. Apart from them, they will also bank on the likes of Yuzvendra Chahal, who is fourth in the ICC T20I bowling rankings and he will play a major role here.

Expected Playing XI

Rohit Sharma (C), Shikhar Dhawan, Lokesh Rahul, Shreyas Iyer or Dinesh Kartik, Manish Pandey, Rishabh Pant, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal and Jasprit Bumrah.

West Indies

Windies hope for a change of fortunes in their preferred format

The Carribeans have lost six and won just two out of the eight completed T20I fixtures they have played this year. The most recent assignment in this format was against Bangladesh in July 2018. It was a three-match series held which they lost 1-2. Despite their recent showdown, they will take some confidence from their impressive record against India.

Batting

In the absence of frontline batsmen, their hopes will mostly rely on Shimron Hetmyer, who was their most successful batsman in the recently concluded ODI series. The team will need him to carry on with his good form into the shortest format. While Kieron Pollard and Andre Russell are both powerful strikers of the cricket ball and these two will bear the responsibility to get team through in case of early jolts.

Bowling

The West Indian bowling will rely heavily on their skipper Carlos Brathwaite and Andre Russell. Both have 25 T20I wickets to their name and the team will them to provide breakthroughs at crucial moments. There will also need Obed McCoy, who claimed four wickets in the two ODI fixtures, to take few wickets early on.

Expected Playing XI

Carlos Brathwaite (c), Keemo Paul, Obed McCoy, Oshane Thomas, Darren Bravo, Rovman Powell, Shimron Hetmyer, Denesh Ramdin, Kieron Pollard, Andre Russell and Fabian Allen.