Lucknow, Oct 2026 : India won the toss and elected to bowl first against the West Indies in the opening T20I of the five-match series at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium here on Tuesday.
The match marks the T20I debut of Naman Dhir, who made his ODI debut on September 27. Dhir received his maiden T20I cap from India pacer Arshdeep Singh ahead of the series opener.
The game is also a milestone occasion for West Indies spinner Akeal Hosein, who is making his 100th appearance in T20 internationals.
India captain Shreyas Iyer said his team was aware of the challenge posed by a strong West Indies side but expressed confidence that the players would adapt quickly despite a demanding travel schedule following their Asian Games campaign.
“We are going to bowl first; it's a mixed surface. There will be some dew as well. Travel was pretty hectic. Came last night; today we have turned up for the game, but we are in the zone,” Iyer said at the toss.
He acknowledged the West Indies’ strong record in the shortest format and praised their batting depth and all-round options.
“They have been fabulous; they have dominated T20 cricket in the last few years. They have got brilliant batting and all-rounders. Looking forward to the contest,” he said.
Iyer also confirmed that Ravi Bishnoi, Nitish Reddy, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Prince Yadav were not included in India’s playing XI for the opening match.
The Indian captain said the decision to bowl first was influenced by the nature of the pitch and the possibility of dew later in the evening, which could make batting easier for the chasing side.
West Indies captain Shai Hope said his team would also have preferred to bowl first, highlighting the advantages of chasing in Indian conditions.
“We would have bowled first as well. In India, it's always good to chase. We need to adapt to the conditions; it's different,” Hope said.
The West Indies captain also pointed to the flexibility in his team, with six bowling options and several all-rounders available.
“We have new guys coming and some going out. We just got to play our best cricket. Six bowling options for us, some all-rounders as well,” he added.
The West Indies XI features Hope as captain and wicketkeeper, alongside Kamil Pooran, Shimron Hetmyer, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd, Matthew Forde, Roston Chase, Akeal Hosein, Shamar Springer and Shamar Joseph.
India, meanwhile, have named a strong combination featuring Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer, Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Naman Dhir, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav and Mayank Yadav.
With both sides looking to begin the five-match series on a winning note, the Lucknow opener promises an intriguing contest between India’s varied bowling attack and a West Indies side boasting considerable T20 experience and power.
