West Indies will tour India for a 3-match T20I series. All three matches will be played at the Eden Gardens Stadium in Kolkata due to the travel risks in these Covid-19 times. A 3-match ODI series will also take place in Ahmedabad before the T20I series.

Both the teams will be coming into this series with different emotions. While India will be disappointed by their ODI series white-wash in South Africa, West Indies recently beat England 3-2 in a 5-match T20I series in the Caribbean. 

With both teams having power-packed batters who are capable of hitting the big shots and plenty of match-winners, this series between India and the West Indies is going to be exciting to watch and play on fantasy cricket.

India T20I Squad Against The West Indies 

Newly-appointed skipper Rohit Sharma is fully fit, and ready to lead the charge. He will look to get the results and shape the squad for the T20 World Cup happening later this year. In the absence of senior bowlers, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan, and Harshal Patel are a few of the new names that can get the chance to play a part in this series.

Rohit Sharma (C), KL Rahul (VC), Ishan Kishan, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Surya Kumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (WK), Venkatesh Iyer, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Ravi Bishnoi, Axar Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal, Washington Sundar, Mohd. Siraj, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Avesh Khan, Harshal Patel

West Indies T20I Squad Against India

West Indies announced a 16-member squad for the T20I series against India. Most of the names from the squad that took part in the T20I series against England have been retained. Kieron Pollard is the captain, while Nicholas Pooran will take the vice-captaincy role. The squad has a lot of all-rounders, with the likes of Rovman Powell and Jason Holder having stand-out performances in the T20I series against England.

Kieron Pollard (C), Nicholas Pooran (VC), Fabien Allen, Darren Bravo, Roston Chase, Sheldon Cottrell, Dominic Drakes, Jason Holder, Shai Hope, Akeal Hosein, Brandon King, Rovman Powell, Odean Smith, Romario Shepherd, Kyle Mayers, Hayden Walsh

India’s Best Possible XI for the T20I Series Against The West Indies

1. Rohit Sharma (C)

Rohit Sharma is returning to action after a hamstring injury that kept him away from the South Africa tour and his contributions back at the top of the order will be a big advantage for Team India.

Adjudged the Player of the Series in India’s last T20I series vs New Zealand, Rohit was in fine form with the bat in 2021, scoring 5 fifties with a high score of 74 runs against Afghanistan. He ensured a steady start to India’s batting innings more often than not.

2. KL Rahul

KL Rahul has been the stand-in captain in white-ball cricket in absence of Rohit Sharma. He has been going a good patch of form and will look to take maximum advantage of that in this series against the West Indies. has been the stand-in captain in white-ball cricket in the absence of Rohit Sharma. He has been going through a good patch of form and will look to take maximum advantage of that in this series against the West Indies.

KL Rahul is currently the highest-ranked (4th) Indian player in the ICC T20I batting rankings and can demolish any bowling attack on his best day. In 2021, he scored 4 half-centuries at a strike rate of 130.76.

3. Virat Kohli

Between all the controversy regarding the captaincy saga and the wait for his 71st international century, Virat Kolhi has been scoring runs consistently in both red and white-ball cricket. 

Virat Kolhi has made 299 runs in his eight T20I innings in 2021, with the highest score of 80* vs England, at a healthy strike rate of 132.89. Playing his first T20I match since the World Cup exit, fans will be looking for Kohli to produce the usual magic with his bat.

4. Suryakumar Yadav

Suryakumar Yadav made his debut in the T20I side against England last year. He is stylish and unorthodox, and the No.4 spot in the middle order can be his if he shows more consistency with the bat in this series.

Scoring a total of 244 runs in the nine innings he played last year, Suryakumar has managed to get 3 fifties, including the one on debut. His strike rate of 155.41 shows that not only can he build an innings, but he can also go aggressive when required.

5. Rishabh Pant (WK)

Rishabh Pant is a perfect wicketkeeper-batter in the T20I format. His attacking nature and power striking with the bat during his 5-year T20I career has been a game-changer for Team India.

2021 was a good T20I year for Pant, with runs in international cricket as well as the Indian T20 League. He scored a total of 213 runs and 416 runs respectively with a healthy strike rate of 125.29 and is the best choice for keeper in the playing 11 against the West Indies.

6. Venkatesh Iyer

2021 has been a dream year for all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer. From debuting for Kolkata during the second half of the Indian T20 League to maiden call ups to the Indian ODI and T20I team, Iyer has been to be a good alternative with injury concerns around Hardik Pandya.

Still relatively new to the international arena, Venkatesh Iyer has been a star in the domestic circuit. Scoring 370 runs for Team Kolkata and 399 runs for Madhya Pradesh in addition to the 10 wickets in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, he looks promising to grab the all-rounder’s spot at No. 6.

7. Axar Patel

Axar Patel’s inclusion in the playing 11 should not come as a surprise, especially in the absence of injured Ravindra Jadeja and rested Ravi Ashwin. A handy batter and a valuable fielder, Axar manages to hold the batters off and get them to commit mistakes going after him.

In the 15 T20Is he played, he has taken 13 wickets at an economy rate of 6.7. In 2021, he took 4 wickets at an economy rate of 6.43, including the best figures of 3/9 against New Zealand in November. This series gives him a great chance to move ahead in the competition for the spinning all-rounder’s spot with the likes of Washington Sundar, Jadeja and Ashwin also in the mix.

8. Deepak Chahar 

Deepak Chahar could be the bowling all-rounder India has been looking out for. A swing bowler known to produce breakthroughs in the PowerPlays could be vital against the West Indies. With bowlers like Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami being rested for this series, he will look to take full advantage and push for an automatic selection for the future series. 

His 23 wickets in 17 T20I matches have helped India make breakthroughs during the initial part of their bowling innings. Chahar’s batting has also improved a lot, with scores of 69* and 54 against Sri Lanka and South Africa in his last two ODI innings.

9. Harshal Patel

Harshal Patel was the highest wicket taker in the Indian T20 League 2021, but was unfortunate to miss out on the final squad for the T20 World Cup 2021. With the team building toward the next T20 World Cup in October this year, Harshal will look to cement his place in the squad.

In his two T20Is against New Zealand, he took 4 wickets at an economy rate of 7.28 and a strike rate of 10.5. He also made a handy contribution in the one innings he batted, scoring 18 runs at a strike rate of 163.63. His addition will help to deepen the batting depth of the team.

10. Bhuvneshwar Kumar

Bhuvneshwar Kumar is the surprise pick in the playing 11, given his recent form with the ball. He is one of the most experienced bowlers in the current squad, with senior bowlers like Jasprit Bumrah and Mohd Shami resting.

In 2021, he played 12 T20Is and took 12 wickets, with best figures of 4/22. His economy rate of 6.59 helped control the bowling innings in the death overs. This series could be one of his last chances to prove himself to the management for the future.

11. Yuzvendra Chahal 

Yuzvendra Chahal has been one of the best spinners for India in the shorter format. He is the second-highest wicket taker for India, with 64 wickets in 50 T20I matches, with best figures of 6/25 and a slightly high economy rate of 8.20.

After getting omitted from the 2021 T20 World Cup, he has been back in the squad and has a huge opportunity in the series against the West Indies. Ravi Bishnoi is waiting in the wings, in case Chahal does not perform as desired by the team as well as the management.

India vs West Indies Series 2022 T20I Schedule

India vs. West Indies Tour 2022 Live Streaming Details

Star Sports Network is the official broadcaster of all the matches of the India vs West Indies series in India. Hence, the IND vs WI ODI and T20I series will be telecast live on the Star Sports TV channels. The live streaming of the matches will be available on the Disney+ Hotstar app.

Howzat, the fantasy sports platform, will be hosting all the matches of the West Indies Tour of India on its fantasy app. You can get access to the latest cricket match predictions and trending cricket news on the Howzat blog. Download the cricket fantasy app now, make your dream team & start winning every day!