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The three-match ODI series is over, with India as the winner. Now the focus is on the 5-match T20I series between these two national cricket teams. The series for the shortest format of the game will start on October 6 at the Ekana Cricket Stadium B Ground in Lucknow. Ahead of the 1st match of the T20I series, former India National Cricket Team batter Cheteshwar Pujara named his favorite Playing XI against the West Indies cricket team.
The Men in Blue will be oozing with confidence when they enter the ground to take on West Indies, as they recently claimed their second set of gold medals at the Asian Games. The Shreyas Iyer-led Indian cricket team emerged victorious at the final of the 2026 Asian Games' men's cricket event, defeating their arch rival Pakistan in Japan.
Shreyas Iyer-led Team India won gold at the 2026 Asian Games.
Between the final match of the Asian Games and the T20I series opener, there is a very limited amount of time. The T20I Indian squad will have to return to India from Japan before beginning preparations for the 5-match series. For workload management reasons, skipper Shreyas Iyer will not get the services of the prime pacer Jasprit Bumrah. However, the rest of the squad will be more or less the same.
In the 2026 Asian Games, when Team India's T20I squad was under the observation of VVS Laxman, they played both Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi together in their playing eleven. There is expected to be a slight change of tactics as the team will be again under the guidance of the head coach Gautam Gambhir.
Cheteshwar Pujara picks his choice of playing XI for the IND vs WI 1st T20I
For a Star Sports video, former cricketer Cheteshwar Pujara named his choice of playing combination for the first T20I match against West Indies. Pujara kept Vaibhav Sooryavanshi on the bench and named Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma as the openers of the team.
At No.3 and No.4, Pujara picked Ishan Kishan and captain Shreyas Iyer, with Tilak Varma and Shivam Dube for the following two batting positions, respectively.
No Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in Cheteshwar Pujara's playing XI
To strengthen the pace bowling attack, Cheteshwar Pujara selected Arshdeep Singh, Prince Yadav, Dube and Nitish Kumar Reddy. While Dube and Reddy will be the pace bowling all-rounders, Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav are named as the spinners in the team. Surprisingly, Pujara did not name Washington Sundar in his choice of playing combination.
"My probable playing XI for the first T20 against West Indies is: I'll start with Sanju Samson and Abhishek to open, Ishaan Kishan at no. 3, Shreyas Iyer at no.4, Tilak at 5, Shivam Dube at 6, Nitesh Kumar Reddy at 7, Axar at 8, Kuldeep will be no. 9, and no. 10 will be Arshdeep and Prince Yadav at no. 11," Cheteshwar Pujara said in the Star Sports video.
Cheteshwar Pujara's favorite playing eleven for the 1st T20I vs West Indies in Lucknow:
Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer (C), Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, and Prince Yadav.
Who makes Pujara’s XI? 👀 Cheteshwar Pujara reveals his picks for Team India’s 1st T20I against the West Indies! 🇮🇳🔥 Watch #INDvWI | 1st T20I 👉 TUE, 6th OCT, 6 PM https://t.co/rKHpAf7M2L
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) October 4, 2026
