WI vs IND Prediction: Who will win the 1st T20I?
The action now shifts to the shortest format after the one-day series. West Indies and India will go head-to-head in a five-match T20I series. The first game will be played on Friday, July 29, at the Brian Lara Stadium in Trinidad.
West Indies have a strong batting unit with the likes of skipper Nicholas Pooran, Rovman Powell, Shamarah Brooks and Brandon King. Shimron Hetmyer has been recalled to the T20I side which only adds to their strength.
They also have some fine all-rounders in Kyle Mayers, Keemo Paul and experienced Jason Holder. The likes of Odean Smith, Romario Shepherd, Akeal Hosein and Hayden Walsh are some of the key names from their bowling line-up.
This is a format that favors West Indies and they have performed considerably well, beating Bangladesh 3-0 at home in their previous series. Despite their whitewash against India in the ODI series, they have the potential to put up a good showing here.
India, on the other hand, have a strong T20I squad. Rohit Sharma returns as captain while the likes of Rishabh Pant, Dinesh Karthik, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin will also be in action.
India will miss a few senior players such as Virat Kohli, KL Rahul and Jasprit Bumrah. Nonetheless, the likes of Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda, Harshal Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Sanju Samson and Shreyas Iyer, among others, are quality players who have made the most of their opportunities.
With some talented and experienced players on both sides, the T20I series is expected to bring out a thrilling contest.
Can West Indies (WI) beat India (IND)?
Looking at the head-to-head T20I record between India and West Indies, the Men in Blue have come out on top 13 times while the hosts have won only on six occasions out of 20 matches.
India have a good balance in the side and have come together well as a unit in this format. Their series win against England previously will only be a boost for them, adding up to their ODI series win against West Indies.
West Indies will have to work on their batting despite having some big hitters in their line-up. They have failed to deliver consistently against big teams, which is also a matter of concern ahead of this series. There are still a few inexperienced players on their side, which doubles up the challenge for them.
It will take some effort for them to beat India in the opening T20I.
Prediction: India to win the match.