IND vs WI 1st T20I Match Prediction, Pitch Report & Fantasy Tips

India and West Indies begin a fresh five-match T20I series in Lucknow, with Shreyas Iyer leading a new-look India side fresh off a 3-0 ODI sweep, against a West Indies team led by Shamar Joseph’s 20 wickets this season.

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Match Preview

India and West Indies start a new five-match T20I series at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow, right after India completed a 3-0 sweep in the ODIs.

India come into this with a mostly different squad built for T20Is. Ishan Kishan has been batting very well, with 394 runs this season at an average of 49.25. Abhishek Sharma has been even more explosive, scoring 311 runs at a huge strike rate over 219.

West Indies have had a mixed run lately, but they still have real power in their batting. Shimron Hetmyer has been excellent, with 333 runs at a strike rate of 178. Shai Hope has also chipped in with 288 runs this season.With the ball, Shamar Joseph has been outstanding for West Indies, taking 20 wickets this season. Gudakesh Motie has also been useful with 10 wickets. India will lean on Axar Patel and Ravi Bishnoi, who have 8 and 7 wickets respectively.

India have a slightly better recent head-to-head record, and with home advantage, they go into this first T20I as favourites, though West Indies have enough power hitters to make this competitive.

Match Details

Here are the key details for the IND vs WI 1st T20I.

IND vs WI Pitch Report – Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow

Ekana is generally a balanced to bowling-friendly pitch for T20Is, with spin and slower balls becoming more important as the match goes on. This ground has both black-soil and red-soil strips, so the pitch can change a lot depending on which one is used. Black-soil strips are usually slow and grip the ball, while red-soil strips offer more pace and bounce.

Out of six completed men’s T20Is here, the first-innings average is 160, but the scores have ranged widely, from as high as 199 to as low as just 99. In one famous match, India and New Zealand played out a game with no sixes at all after New Zealand were bowled out for 99.

For this match, 155-165 is a fair par score. On a slow pitch, that can drop to 145-155, but on a good batting strip, scores can go past 170-180. Five of the six completed matches here have been won by the team batting first, so setting a target has worked well at this ground. If there is heavy dew in the evening, that can help the chasing side instead, so this depends a lot on conditions on the day.

Pitch Report Sourced From: CricBuzz 

IND vs WI Recent Form

The recent results of both teams provide some context ahead of the first T20I.

Data Source: ESPNcricinfo

IND vs WI Head-to-Head Record

India hold a slight edge in the recent head-to-head meetings between the two teams.

Data Source: ESPNcricinfo

IND vs WI Probable Playing XI

The probable playing XIs for the first T20I are as follows.

India:

Shreyas Iyer (C), Tilak Varma, Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (WK), Ishan Kishan, Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Ravi Bishnoi, Mayank Yadav

West Indies:

Kamil Pooran, Shai Hope (C, WK), Shimron Hetmyer, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Roston Chase, Keemo Paul, Romario Shepherd, Gudakesh Motie, Shamar Joseph, Akeal Hosein

Top Picks for IND vs WI Fantasy Team

These players stand out based on their recent performances and season statistics.

Top Batting Picks

• Abhishek Sharma (IND, BAT) — 311 runs this season at a huge strike rate over 219. One of the most explosive batters in the world right now.
• Shimron Hetmyer (WI, BAT) — 333 runs at a strike rate of 178 this season.
• Ishan Kishan (IND, BAT/WK) — 394 runs at an average of 49.25 this season.
• Shai Hope (WI, BAT/WK) — 288 runs at an average of 36 this season.

Top Bowling Picks

• Shamar Joseph (WI, BOWL) — 20 wickets this season. The leading wicket-taker in this contest by a distance.
• Axar Patel (IND, ALL/BOWL) — 8 wickets at an economy of 7.13 this season.
• Gudakesh Motie (WI, BOWL) — 10 wickets at an economy of 7.86 this season.
• Ravi Bishnoi (IND, BOWL) — 7 wickets at an economy of 7.61 this season.

IND vs WI Best Fantasy Team

Here is a suggested fantasy team for the IND vs WI 1st T20I.

Captain and Vice-Captain Choices

• Captain: Abhishek Sharma
• Vice-Captain: Shamar Joseph

IND vs WI Toss Prediction

Prediction: Bat first

Five of the six completed men’s T20Is at this ground have been won by the team batting first, so setting a target has worked very well here. If the pitch is dry and there is little dew expected, batting first and getting runs on the board before the surface slows down looks like the smarter option. If heavy dew is expected in the evening, bowling first would make more sense instead.

IND vs WI Today Match Prediction

Prediction: India to Win

India go in as slight favourites. They have home advantage and a good recent record against West Indies. Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan can give them a fast start.

West Indies are not out of this. Shimron Hetmyer can play a big innings, and Shamar Joseph has been bowling very well. If they play well together, they can trouble India.But with home support and better recent form, India should win this match.