T20 World Cup: India opt to field first against West Indies in Kolkata
March 1, 2026 06:38 pm
Defending champions Team India won the toss and decided to field against the two-time champions West Indies in a do-or-die Super eight fixture in the ongoing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup on Sunday.
The high-voltage Super eight fixture is being held at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
The winner of the India vs West Indies high-voltage clash will qualify for the semi-finals along with South Africa, England and New Zealand.
India and the West Indies have played four matches in T20 World Cup history.
The Men in Maroon have won three, while the Men in Blue have clinched one victory. The Caribbean side dominated in the 2009, 2010, and 2016 editions with strong all-round performances. India’s only win came in 2014, when their bowlers were key.
After winning the toss, Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav confirmed that they are playing with the same team which won the previous Super 8 game against Zimbabwe.
“We will bowl first tonight. Looks good. It has been a chasing ground; the wicket gets even better, so chasing is a good option. It’s already wild, and we will look to give a good show to the crowd. I think we ticked all the boxes last game. Same team,” Suyakumar said.
West Indies captain Shai Hope said that the team has made one change with Akeal Hosein replacing Brandon King.
“We would have done the same (bowling). Playing consistent cricket is key for us. Most of the guys have been part of the IPL, and hopefully we can come out on top today. It’s a do-or-die game today. This is what we play for - to play against big teams, best teams. One change, Akeal Hosein comes in for Brandon King,” Hope said.
Teams:
India (Playing XI): Sanju Samson(wicketkeeper), Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav(captain), Hardik Pandya, Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah.
West Indies (Playing XI): Shai Hope(w/c), Roston Chase, Shimron Hetmyer, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd, Jason Holder, Matthew Forde, Akeal Hosein, Gudakesh Motie, Shamar Joseph.
