"India's top 3 will score 90+ runs" - Aakash Chopra makes his predictions for 1st T20I vs West Indies

Aakash Chopra reckons India's top three batters will together make a decent contribution in the first T20I against the West Indies.

The Men in Blue will face the Windies in a five-match T20I series, with the first game to be played in Tarouba, Trinidad, on Thursday, August 3. Shubman Gill, Ishan Kishan and Yashasvi Jaiswal are the three prospective candidates to open the batting for the visitors.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra predicted India's top three batters to be among the runs, saying:

"The T20 World Cup will be played here only next year. It is not that far away, because they are saying that it can happen in June. So it is less than a year. Try to play the best XI from the team available and play consistently. India's top three, whoever plays, will score 90 or more runs."

The former Indian opener expects the visiting spinners to strike a few blows with the ball, elaborating:

"There is not a lot of help for the spinners here. There is a little help, so you will expect three or more wickets from the spinners. The question will be whether three or two spinners will play. Three spinners played here last time but I don't know now, but in any case, I feel the spinners will take more than three wickets."

Axar Patel will likely be a certain pick in India's playing XI, considering he is the only frontline bowler in the squad who can wield the willow effectively. The Indian think-tank will have to choose either one or two of Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal and Ravi Bishnoi as the wrist-spin options.

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"More than 90 runs will be scored in the powerplay overs" - Aakash Chopra

Kyle Mayers and Brandon King might open the batting for the West Indies.

Aakash Chopra expects a decent number of runs to be scored in the powerplay overs, stating:

"I feel more than 90 runs will be scored in the powerplay overs. Our six overs and their six overs, more than 90 combining the two."

Chopra concluded by predicting an Indian win in the series opener, observing:

"I also feel the Indian team will win this game. They say this is the West Indies' stronger suit but is there a stronger suit for the West Indies team? I don't think so. They didn't qualify for the ODI and T20 World Cups and we have seen their situation in Test matches. Their situation is slightly bad."

India have won 15 of their last 17 T20Is against the West Indies. They registered a 4-1 win in the five-match T20I series between the two sides in July-August last year.