Last Updated on 1 month by Charbel Coorey
IND vs WI 1st T20 Dream11 Prediction & Fan2Play Possible 11 Pitch Report | IND vs WI 1st T20 Dream11 Prediction Today | India vs West Indies 1st T20I Key Players | Kolkata Pitch Report
With an eventful IPL Mega Auction sandwiched in between the two formats, attention turns to further World Cup preparation as India and West Indies look to continue their recent form.
While the Windies’ ODI form is horrendous, they enter this series off the back of a fine 3-2 series win over England. There was an element of youthful freedom in the lineup, which was a far cry from their wretched 2021 in T20s. A strong performance in India will certainly boost confidence further.
India won the ODI series courtesy of their bowlers, and will be looking to build some continuity ahead of this year’s World Cup. Both they and West Indies were mighty disappointing in the last World Cup in the UAE. So, spots are up for grabs and players from both sides will be aiming to make a strong impression at Eden Gardens in the first of three T20Is to round off the tour.
Possible Playing 11
India could open with Ishan Kishan, who was bought back by Mumbai Indians for over 15 crores. His record as opener in the IPL is brilliant (more below), so it makes sense.
India: 1. Rohit Sharma (c), 2. Ishan Kishan, 3. Virat Kohli, 4. Rishabh Pant (wk), 5. Suryakumar Yadav, 6. Shreyas Iyer, 7. Harshal Patel, 8. Kuldeep Yadav, 9. Mohammed Siraj, 10. Yuzvendra Chahal, 11. Avesh Khan/Shardul Thakur
Kieron Pollard is back fit for the Windies after missing the final two ODIs with a niggle.
West Indies: 1. Kyle Mayers, 2. Brandon King, 3. Nicholas Pooran (wk), 4. Kieron Pollard (c), 5. Rovman Powell, 6. Jason Holder, 7. Romario Shepherd, 8. Fabian Allen, 9. Odean Smith, 10. Akeal Hosein, 11. Sheldon Cottrell
Key Players to Watch/Key Stats
India:
- Between 2016 and 2019, Virat Kohli smashed three half-centuries in four T20Is vs West Indies in India. He has scored a total of 272 runs with just the one dismissal at an incredible strike rate of 190.20. So, will we see the Virat of old today after a lean ODI series?
- Also, Virat has solid T20 numbers at Eden Gardens. The former captain has struck 377 runs in 11 innings at an average of 47.13 and strike rate of 130.45, including a century.
- Rohit Sharma has the most runs in India-West Indies T20Is with 519 runs in 15 innings at an average of 43.25 and strike rate of 141.41. Also, like Virat, Rohit has some fine numbers at Eden Gardens in T20s: 16 inns, 538 runs, avg. 41.38, SR 144.24, with four half-centuries and a century.
- Ishan Kishan could open in this match. Watch out if he does. He is dynamite when he opens in the IPL, with 555 runs in 13 innings at an average of 55.50 and strike rate of 155.90.
- Shreyas Iyer won player of the match in the third ODI (80 off 111 balls). Suryakumar Yadav scored the most runs in the ODIs (104).
- Kuldeep Yadav could get a run here. The left-arm spinner has eight wickets to his name in four matches vs West Indies at an average of 15.50 and economy rate of 7.75. Also, he has experience at Eden Gardens playing for KKR, with 24 scalps in 22 innings at an average of 26.29 and economy rate of 8.06.
- Harshal Patel, who was popular among bidders at the IPL auction, took the joint-most wickets in India’s last T20I series vs New Zealand (2 matches, 4 wickets, avg. 12.78, econ. 7.75). He will be key at the death, as he was in IPL 2021 where he took 32 wickets.
West Indies:
- Nicholas Pooran went for over 10 crores in the IPL auction, and he will want to prove his worth here. He recently had a strong T20I series against England, where he scored the most runs of any player (164, avg. 41.00, SR 122.38).
- Pooran in T20Is vs India: 7 innings, 151 runs, avg. 30.20, SR 125.83.
- Rovman Powell scored a magnificent century in that same series. However, that one knock (107) makes up nearly one-third of his total T20I runs (524) in 36 matches, so it will be interesting to see if he can develop some consistency.
- Kieron Pollard has the second-most runs of any Windies player against India. The skipper has scored 292 runs in 10 innings at an average of 32.44 and strike rate of 126.40. Also, Pollard has struck 206 runs in nine innings at Kolkata at an average of 29.43 and strike rate of 127.95.
- Jason Holder’s stocks rose as a T20 bowler in the England series, where he took a brilliant 15 wickets in five matches. He had a bad series with the ball against India in 2019, with just one wicket in the three matches at an average of 142.00 and economy rate of 11.83.
- Akeal Hosein also had an impressive series against England (5 inns, 8 wickets, econ. 7.05). He has taken at least one wicket in each of his last eight T20Is, including four in his last outing vs England.
- Odean Smith looked good in the ODIs vs India, as he took three wickets and scored 60 runs at a strike rate of 157.89.
Stats and Facts
- India have won four of the past five T20Is against West Indies, with the last being back in 2019.
- West Indies come into this series on the back of an impressive 3-2 win over a capable England side.
- India have won their last six T20Is going back to the T20 World Cup, beating Afghanistan, Scotland, Namibia and New Zealand thrice.
Eden Gardens Kolkata Pitch Report and Weather
Eden Gardens is typically one of the pacier, bouncier surfaces in India. India smashed New Zealand by 73 runs after making 184/7 with the bat.
However, the toss could be crucial here with plenty of dew around in recent days according to reports. Also, it will be a clear evening.
Dream11 Prediction
Note: The below teams are not based on the final playing XIs. We may not be able to update these in time.
Option 1:

Option 2:

Fan2Play Prediction
Base team:
- Wicket-keepers: Ishan Kishan, Nicholas Pooran
- Batsmen: Rohit Sharma, Rovman Powell
- All-rounders: Jason Holder
- Bowlers: Harshal Patel, Deepak Chahar, Odean Smith
Match Prediction
The chasing team should have the advantage in this clash with dew expected. India start as favourites.