West Indies captain Shai Hope won the toss and chose to field first in the second T20I against India at the JSCA International Stadium Complex in Ranchi on Friday evening.
The decision hands India the chance to bat under the lights in a match that could stretch their series lead to 2-0.
Hope called the choice straightforward. Speaking on the field, he noted that the surface was already a little damp and expected conditions to worsen as the evening progressed. West Indies have historically preferred chasing in T20 cricket, and the visiting captain made clear that the plan was to apply pressure with the ball before hunting down whatever total India posted.
The visitors trail 1-0 in the five-match series after a heavy defeat in Lucknow earlier in the week. There, India restricted them to 171 and chased the target in 14.4 overs. Captain Shreyas Iyer marked his return to the T20I side with a maiden century, an unbeaten 102 off 43 balls that included ten fours and six sixes. Debutant Naman Dhir took three wickets in that win.
India have named an unchanged playing XI for Ranchi. Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson will open, with Ishan Kishan, Iyer, Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube and Naman Dhir to follow. The bowling attack features Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav and Mayank Yadav. Samson’s form remains a talking point after modest scores in recent outings, yet the team management has stuck with the combination that delivered in the opening game. Local interest is high around wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan, a Jharkhand player featured prominently in pre-match content.
West Indies have made one change, bringing in left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie. Their lineup includes Hope, Kamil Pooran, Shimron Hetmyer, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Roston Chase, Romario Shepherd, Shamar Springer, Akeal Hosein and Shamar Joseph. Hope and Rutherford were the main contributors with the bat in Lucknow, both scoring half-centuries before the middle order collapsed.
Ranchi is staging an international T20 after a gap of 44 months. Evening conditions in October often bring dew, which can make the ball harder to grip for bowlers and smoother for batters later in the innings. That factor appears to have shaped Hope’s decision. India, meanwhile, will look to build on the momentum from Lucknow and take an unassailable lead in the series.
The match is scheduled to begin at 7:00 PM IST, with live coverage available on the BCCI website and official app as well as Star Sports.
