Lucknow,Oct 6:
India will begin their three-match T20I series against West Indies at the Ekana International Cricket Stadium in Lucknow today with the focus on captain Shreyas Iyer and the team’s selection combination.
The series comes soon after India’s campaign at the 2026 Asian Games, where VVS Laxman coached the men’s team. India had used teenage batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi alongside world No. 1 T20 batter Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson on the difficult surfaces at Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin City. Samson batted at No. 3 during the Asian Games, with the team adapting to the conditions.
For the Lucknow opener, however, head coach Gautam Gambhir is expected to adopt a different approach. The availability of all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy provides the team with an additional option in the lower middle order.
India’s selection puzzle is particularly challenging in the middle order. Ishan Kishan, captain Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Axar Patel are all competing for places. The pace attack is another area of consideration. Arshdeep Singh is expected to lead the attack, with Delhi pacers Mayank Yadav and Prince Yadav providing support.