IND vs WI 1st T20I preview: Shreyas Iyer's Asian Games champions take on West Indies in Lucknow
Fresh from the 2-1 ODI series win and Asian Games gold, India start a five-match T20I series against Shai Hope's West Indies at Ekana Stadium on Tuesday, 6 October at 7 PM IST.
India move from 50 overs to 20 on Tuesday as the five-match T20I series against West Indies starts at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow. The ODI leg ended with India taking the series 2-1, and much of this T20I squad has just come home with Asian Games gold after beating Pakistan in the final.
IND vs WI 1st T20I: match details
- Match: India vs West Indies, 1st T20I (five-match series)
- Date: Tuesday, 6 October 2026
- Time: 7:00 PM IST (toss at 6:30 PM IST)
- Venue: Ekana Stadium, Lucknow
- TV: Star Sports Network
- Live streaming: JioHotstar app and website
- Live score: tryball.in
Where to watch IND vs WI 1st T20I live in India
The match will be shown live on the Star Sports Network on TV and streamed on JioHotstar. Check the TryBall match page for the live score, scorecard, toss update and playing XIs as soon as they're announced.
A new-look India under Shreyas Iyer
Shreyas Iyer leads the side with Tilak Varma as his deputy. Most of the group that won gold at the Asian Games is here, which means India arrive as a settled unit rather than a squad still finding combinations.
The batting is built for attack. Abhishek Sharma and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi give India explosive options at the top, Ishan Kishan arrives in form after his unbeaten 80 in the Asian Games semi-final, and Sanju Samson adds a second wicketkeeping option. Tilak, Iyer and Shivam Dube carry the middle order.
The spin question
India's spin stocks run deep: Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel and Ravi Bishnoi are all in the squad. After the ODI series, where the Indian attack leaked runs in all three games, the bowling is where the most attention will fall. Arshdeep Singh leads the pace group alongside Mayank Yadav, Prince Yadav and all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy.
West Indies bring the power
Shai Hope captains West Indies and keeps wicket, and he arrives in strong form after his hundred in the 2nd ODI. Around him is a squad full of T20 hitters: Shimron Hetmyer, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford and Romario Shepherd can all take a game away in a few overs. Akeal Hosein and Gudakesh Motie give them two left-arm spin options, and Shamar Joseph brings pace.
Jewel Andrew hurt his finger in the 3rd ODI. Scans showed no fracture, but Amir Jangoo, who made 114 in the 2nd ODI, has been added to the squad as cover.
Lucknow conditions
Ekana pitches have a reputation for helping the bowlers, especially the spinners, and stroke-making can get harder as the ball softens. Clear skies are forecast for the evening, and dew could come in during the second innings. That could push the captain who wins the toss to bowl first.
What to watch for
- Can Sooryavanshi and Abhishek give India the fast starts that set up T20 totals?
- Does India pick three spinners on a Lucknow surface that usually rewards them?
- Can India's bowlers stop the leak that cost them in the ODIs against the same West Indies hitters?
- How much does dew decide the toss?
Follow the toss, playing XIs and ball-by-ball live score on TryBall.