New Delhi: India will lock horns with West Indies in their must-win final Super Eight clash in the T20 World Cup 2026 on Sunday, February 29. After a crushing 76-run defeat against South Africa in their Super Eight opener last week, India bounced back to thrash Zimbabwe in their second game to stay alive in the race for the semifinals.
The equation is now simple for the Men in Blue – they need to beat West Indies in their final game to make it to the semifinals. A defeat against Shai Hope’s men on Sunday will see India get eliminated from the competition. The all-important game will be played at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
Both India and West Indies have suffered defeats against South Africa, while posting totals in excess of 250 runs against Zimbabwe. The clash between the two sides is set to be a virtual quarterfinal with a semifinal spot at stake. The winner will head to the next round while the loser will bow out.
Kuldeep Yadav in for India?
India might consider making a change in their bowling line-up against West Indies after their ordinary show against Zimbabwe. Despite posting a huge total of 256 runs on the board, India failed to exert pressure on Zimbabwe as their bowlers were taken to the cleaners.
Opener Brian Bennett slammed an unbeaten 97 to help Zimbabwe post 184/6, denying India the chance to significantly bolster their net run rate. The likes of Varun Chakaravarthy, Axar Patel and Shivam Dube were all bashed all around the park, sparking concerns ahead of the crucial game against West Indies.
India might consider bringing back Kuldeep Yadav to have a genuine wicket-taker in their line-up against West Indies. Kuldeep’s only appearance in the tournament came against Pakistan, where he finished with figures of 1/14. He has since been warming the bench due to the team combination.
However, India might consider bringing Kuldeep back in place of Shivam Dube, Axar Patel or Tilak Varma. The hosts will have to sacrifice an extra batting cover to bring Kuldeep into the playing XI.
Sanju Samson likely to be retained
India are likely to retain Sanju Samson in the playing after their commanding batting display against Zimbabwe in their last game. Following a series of failures, India’s top order finally clicked against Zimbabwe as Samson combined with Abhishek Sharma to get the team off to a flyer.
Samson scored 24 off 15, helping ease pressure on Abhishek, who notched up his first half-century in the tournament enroute to a 30-ball 55. The duo shared a 48-run opening stand to set the tone for a big total for India. Kishan is likely to continue at no.3 with skipper Suryakumar Yadav taking the no.4 spot. Tilak Varma might continue in the lower middle order if he plays.
India’s predicted playing XI for West Indies clash:
Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan (wk), Suryakumar Yadav (c), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube/Tilak Varma, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah