India and West Indies are ready to clash in the first T20I of the three-match series in Kolkata on Sunday. Both teams have already played Test and ODI series, where the home side came out on top quite comfortably. However, in the shortest format of the game, the Men in Blue will be expecting a tough outing against the reigning World T20 champions.
In their last assignment in the 20-over format, India registered a 2-1 defeat in the three match series against England earlier this year. In the batting department, the team will be relying heavily on captain Rohit Sharma—more so in the absence of regular captain Virat Kohli—to do bulk of the scoring, whereas in the bowling department, the onus will be spinners to make inroads.
On the other hand, after an improved show in the ODI series, the Caribbean giants will be hoping to upset the home side in their favourite format. In the batting department, the team will be relying on left-handed batsman Darren Bravo, young Shimron Hetmyer and opener Evin Lewis to score bulk of the runs, whereas in the bowling department, the team will be relying on bowlers who can take pace off the ball.
Both team have so far faced each other in eight matches, where West Indies came out on top five times. Highest individual score of 125 in the contest between both teams was registered by Evin Lewis in 2017 in Kingston, whereas best individual bowling figures of 4-16 was registered by
India and West Indies are ready to clash in the first T20I of the three-match series in Kolkata on Sunday. Both teams have already played Test and ODI series, where the home side came out on top quite comfortably. However, in the shortest format of the game, the Men in Blue will be expecting a tough outing against the reigning World T20 champions.
In their last assignment in the 20-over format, India registered a 2-1 defeat in the three match series against England earlier this year. In the batting department, the team will be relying heavily on captain Rohit Sharma—more so in the absence of regular captain Virat Kohli—to do bulk of the scoring, whereas in the bowling department, the onus will be spinners to make inroads.
On the other hand, after an improved show in the ODI series, the Caribbean giants will be hoping to upset the home side in their favourite format. In the batting department, the team will be relying on left-handed batsman Darren Bravo, young Shimron Hetmyer and opener Evin Lewis to score bulk of the runs, whereas in the bowling department, the team will be relying on bowlers who can take pace off the ball.
Both team have so far faced each other in eight matches, where West Indies came out on top five times. Highest individual score of 125 in the contest between both teams was registered by Evin Lewis in 2017 in Kingston, whereas best individual bowling figures of 4-16 was registered by former West Indies captain Darren Sammy in 2011.
Eden Gardens is a venue historically famous for its capacity to handle more than 100,000 people in a match. The pitch at the venue is normally good for batting and help spinners as the game goes on. Highest score at the venue in a T20I match of 201-5 was registered by Pakistan in a World T20 match against Bangladesh in 2016, whereas the lowest score of 70 was registered by Bangladesh during the same event against New Zealand.
Key Players:
Kieron Pollard – 10 Cr
First in the list of key players feature West Indies all-rounder Kieron Pollard. The 31-year-old only plays T20Is for his country and is still a force to be reckoned with in the shortest format of the game. Valued at 10 Cr, Pollard can prove to be an excellent acquisition as he has a lot of experience of playing T20 cricket in India during his stint with the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Mumbai Indians.
Kuldeep Yadav – 9 Cr
Second in the list of key players features India left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav. The 23-year-old is the Men in Blue's most potent option with the spin and will be expected to make inroads in the opposition's batting lineup. Valued at 9 Cr, Yadav is the player to have in your team as he has ample amount of experience of playing at Eden Gardens, where he plays home matches for the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Kolkata Knight Riders.
Rohit Sharma – 11 Cr
Last in the list feature India captain Rohit Sharma. The veteran opening batsman is undoubtedly one of the leading batsman in the 20-over format. Valued at 11 Cr, Sharma is the kind of player you would want to have in your team, primarily because of his experience in the shortest format of the game, especially while playing in India.
