India have chosen to bowl first in the opening match of their five-match T20I series against West Indies, with captain Shreyas Iyer citing the mixed-soil surface at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium and the likelihood of evening dew.
The decision sets up a chase under lights in Lucknow, where the hosts will look to build on a 2-1 ODI series win and the recent Asian Games gold medal led by the same captain.
The confirmed Indian XI mixes established T20 options with a fresh face. Abhishek Sharma opens alongside wicketkeeper Sanju Samson, with Ishan Kishan and Iyer to follow. Tilak Varma, named vice-captain, slots in at five, backed by all-rounders Shivam Dube, debutant Naman Dhir and Axar Patel. The bowling attack features left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav on his return to the format, alongside pace options Arshdeep Singh and Mayank Yadav.
Dhir, the 26-year-old right-handed batter and off-break bowler who made his ODI debut against the same opposition on 27 September, receives his first T20I cap. His inclusion adds lower-order hitting and a second spin option alongside Axar and Kuldeep. Teenage batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi remains on the bench, as do Prince Yadav and Ravi Bishnoi, leaving the balance weighted toward experienced middle-order depth and a varied bowling unit.
West Indies, led by Shai Hope, will bat first. Their line-up includes Kamil Pooran on T20I debut, Shimron Hetmyer, Rovman Powell and Sherfane Rutherford, with spin from Akeal Hosein and pace from Shamar Joseph and Shamar Springer. Hope indicated he would also have bowled first, pointing to dew and a surface expected to improve as the game progresses.
The series continues in Ranchi, Indore, Hyderabad and Bengaluru, with every match starting at 7:00 PM IST. For India, the immediate task is to execute the fielding plan at Ekana before the middle order faces the pressure of a chase under lights.
