India will face the West Indies in the first T20I at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on Tuesday, October 6. The Men in Blue recently secured a 2-1 win in the ODI series.
India will enter the series with strong momentum after winning the Asian Games 2026 gold medal and completing a 3-0 T20I series sweep against Afghanistan. Shreyas Iyer will lead the side, but India will miss premier fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah.
The West Indies will look to turn their explosive batting into consistent T20I performances. Shai Hope will lead a strong lineup featuring Shimron Hetmyer and Rovman Powell. The visitors recently won a T20I series against Sri Lanka and will aim to improve their record in India.
India have won nine of their last 10 T20I matches against the West Indies at home. They also remain unbeaten in T20Is at the Ekana Cricket Stadium, giving the hosts a clear advantage heading into the series opener.
IND vs WI Match Preview & Recent Form
India have been in excellent T20I form. They beat Pakistan by 19 runs in the Asian Games, defeated Sri Lanka by 124 runs, and secured a narrow two-run win over Japan before the Asian Games.
Abhishek Sharma has been a key part of India’s success, scoring 1,077 runs in the last 12 months at a strike rate of 194.40. With Jasprit Bumrah unavailable, Arshdeep Singh will lead the pace attack alongside Prince Yadav. Arshdeep has taken 39 wickets in the last 12 months at an average of 22.41.
The West Indies have produced mixed results in their recent T20Is. They beat Sri Lanka by five wickets, lost to them by 37 runs, and won another match against Sri Lanka by seven wickets. They will need greater consistency to challenge India in the series.
Shai Hope will be expected to build on the aggressive starts provided by John Campbell. Shimron Hetmyer has scored 566 runs in the last 12 months at a strike rate of 180.83, making him one of the biggest threats in the West Indies batting lineup.
Shamar Joseph will lead the West Indies bowling attack after taking 22 wickets in the last 12 months at an average of 18.95. Alzarri Joseph and Matthew Forde will also be expected to provide early breakthroughs against India’s strong batting lineup.
IND vs WI Live Streaming, Live Telecast: Where to Watch 1st T20I?
The India vs West Indies 1st T20I will be played at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on Tuesday, October 6, with the match scheduled to begin at 7:00 PM IST. JioHotstar and Star Sports will provide live coverage of the five-match series in India.
Cricket fans in India can watch the match live on the JioHotstar app and website, while the Star Sports Network will provide the television broadcast.
IND vs WI Pitch Report: How Will Ekana Cricket Stadium Play?
The pitch at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow is generally balanced. However, the ball can hold slightly on the surface, which could make stroke-making difficult for batters.
Spinners often get assistance at this venue, particularly in the middle overs. The long straight boundaries also make it difficult to clear the ropes, so batters will need to rely on timing and placement rather than power alone.
The average first-innings score is 151. Teams batting first have won five of the nine recorded T20 matches, compared to four wins for teams chasing. A score of 160-170 could be competitive, although the conditions and batting quality will have a major say in the final total.
T20I Stats at Ekana Cricket Stadium
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Total Matches: 9
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Matches Won Batting First: 5
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Matches Won Bowling First: 4
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Average 1st Innings Score: 151
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Average 2nd Innings Score: 126
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Highest Team Total: 199/2 (20 overs) – India vs Sri Lanka
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Highest Score Chased: 159/4 (20 overs) – South Africa Women vs India Women
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Lowest Score Defended: 156/8 (20 overs) – Afghanistan vs West Indies
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Highest Individual Score: 89* – Shubman Gill, India vs South Africa
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Best Bowling Figures: 5/24 – Bhuvneshwar Kumar, India vs Afghanistan
IND vs WI Weather Forecast & Rain Threat at Ekana Cricket Stadium
Temperatures are expected to be around 28°C, with partly cloudy conditions during the match. The day’s rain chance is 65%, with thunderstorms possible in the morning before conditions improve later in the day.
Notably, the morning showers could leave some moisture around the ground, but the forecast does not currently indicate a major rain threat during the evening. Humidity is expected to remain high, which could lead to dew later in the match.
IND vs WI Team News & Injury Updates
India will be without Jasprit Bumrah, who was not included in the T20I squad. Arshdeep Singh is expected to lead the pace attack, with Prince Yadav and Mayank Yadav among the other fast-bowling options.
India have also made a late change to their T20I squad. Washington Sundar has been withdrawn, with Naman Dhir named as his replacement. Sundar will focus on preparations for the upcoming Test series against New Zealand.
IND vs WI Predicted Playing 11 Today
India Predicted Playing XI: Shreyas Iyer (c), Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Sanju Samson (wk), Ishan Kishan, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Prince Yadav.
West Indies Predicted Playing XI: Shai Hope (c & wk), John Campbell, Shimron Hetmyer, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Roston Chase, Akeal Hosein, Shamar Joseph, Matthew Forde, Gudakesh Motie, Alzarri Joseph.
IND vs WI Key Player Battles to Watch
Abhishek Sharma vs Alzarri Joseph:
Abhishek Sharma is one of India’s most aggressive powerplay batters. Alzarri Joseph will look to use his pace and bounce to restrict him, particularly with short deliveries that can cramp the left-hander for room.
Shimron Hetmyer vs Kuldeep Yadav:
Shimron Hetmyer will be a major threat in the middle overs. Kuldeep Yadav could benefit if the Lucknow surface offers grip and turn.
Shreyas Iyer vs Akeal Hosein:
Shreyas Iyer will be expected to control the middle overs against the West Indies spinners. Akeal Hosein can challenge him with tight lines and changes of pace.
IND vs WI Key Players to Watch
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India: Abhishek Sharma, Arshdeep Singh, Shreyas Iyer
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West Indies: Shimron Hetmyer, Shamar Joseph, Shai Hope
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