IND vs WI Preview: West Indies Stand Between India And Semifinal Spot In Kolkata Clash
A focused, purposeful Indian side trains at Eden Gardens ahead of what amounts to a knockout clash against West Indies in the T20 World Cup Super 8, with a place in the semifinals on the line when the two teams meet on Sunday evening in Kolkata.
The mood in the Indian camp carries extra weight after Rinku Singh left the squad following the passing of his father, Khandchand Singh, who had been battling Stage IV liver cancer. Rinku flew to Aligarh to perform the last rites, leaving a noticeable void in a group where he is widely regarded as a central presence. Even the otherwise upbeat Arshdeep Singh trained in isolation along the boundary, working on catching drills with fielding coach T Dilip.
Despite the emotional backdrop, India’s session at Eden was sharp and switched on. Axar Patel played breezy strokes against Kuldeep Yadav and Washington Sundar. Ishan Kishan worked through his innings against Mohammed Siraj. Abhishek Sharma took on the net bowlers. Meanwhile, Jasprit Bumrah and Varun Chakravarthy trained separately, away from the main group.
Assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate, who has history at this venue as a former Kolkata Knight Riders player, addressed the media at Saturday’s pre-match press conference. “I think the important thing is to focus on ourselves, focus on what has got this group to this point, how well they’ve done. And now there’s only quality players left in the tournament,” he said.
Ten Doeschate was equally mindful of the West Indian threat, particularly in light of what the Caribbean side did the last time the two teams met at this stage of a World Cup. In 2016, Daren Sammy’s West Indies knocked hosts India out of the T20 World Cup in a semi-final at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, successfully chasing down 193 with two balls to spare. Of that Indian side, only Bumrah and Hardik Pandya remain in the current squad.
“It’s about big players standing up, experienced players standing up, and just remaining calm and staying true to the way we’ve played leading up to this match,” ten Doeschate said.
India are unlikely to make any changes to the playing XI that thrashed Zimbabwe in their previous outing, a match in which the batting unit finally clicked into gear after a slow start to the tournament.
West Indies, for their part, had a noticeably lighter training session at Eden earlier in the day understandable given that they have already played two matches at the venue and are familiar with its conditions. The likes of Shimron Hetmyer, Sherfane Rutherford, and Romario Shepherd appeared to need only a brief feel of the ground rather than an extended session.
One key selection debate for the Windies centres on whether to play Roston Chase or Akeal Hosein. Chase presents a more favourable match-up against an Indian side with known vulnerabilities against finger spin, though Hosein is considered the more consistent of the two. Shamar Joseph’s place in the XI is also under scrutiny — the fast bowler is yet to find his rhythm in T20 internationals, and his only IPL outing at Eden Gardens in 2024 was a difficult one, conceding 47 runs in four overs after struggling to control seam and swing in a chaotic opening spell.
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Eden Gardens curator Sujan Mukherjee described the pitch as batting-friendly, with the surface appearing slightly dry with a thin covering of grass. A total in the region of 220 is considered attainable in an evening game, with dew expected to play a factor under the lights. In a compact ground where margins are tight, West Indies’ greater familiarity with the conditions could prove a meaningful advantage.
Pitch and Conditions: Kolkata has been under intense heat in recent days, with late spring conditions pointing to dew on Sunday evening. The pitch is slightly dry with some grass on top, and high scores are anticipated.
India Probable XI: Sanju Samson (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Varun Chakravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh
West Indies Probable XI: Brandon King, Shai Hope (c & wk), Shimron Hetmyer, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Roston Chase, Romario Shepherd, Jason Holder, Matthew Forde, Akeal Hosein, Gudakesh Motie
India take on West Indies in their T20 World Cup Super 8 fixture in Kolkata at 7 pm IST. The match will be broadcast on Star Sports and streamed live on JioHotstar.