India will field a balanced squad for the five-match T20I series against West Indies, with the opening match scheduled for October 6 in Lucknow. The series spans five venues across the country, with subsequent matches in Ranchi on October 9, Indore on October 11, Hyderabad on October 14, and Bengaluru on October 17. These matches will be played right after the three-match ODI series against the Caribbean side.
Shreyas Iyer was named captain of the T20I squad announced on September 16, 2026. The squad includes 15 players selected to compete across the series, with Tilak Varma named vice-captain. The selection reflects India’s approach to the shortest format ahead of the upcoming international fixtures.
Top order: Sanju Samson (WK), Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan
Sanju Samson is expected to open the innings and keep wickets for India in this series after making a wonderful comeback to the T20 setup during the series against Afghanistan. The wicketkeeper-batter notched up two half-centuries in three games. Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan complete the top-order combination, providing aggressive batting options at the start of the innings. This trio forms the foundation of India’s batting approach in the T20I format. Abhishek deserves special mention after winning the Player of the Series award against the Afghans. Who can forget his record-breaking 30-ball century in the last T20I.
Middle order: Shreyas Iyer (C), Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel
Shreyas Iyer will bat in the middle order at No. 4. He had a quiet series against Afghanistan, scoring just 48 runs in three games at a strike rate of 133.33. Tilak Varma will also look to make an impact in the middle-order. Nitish Kumar Reddy and Shivam Dube add depth and finishing capability to the batting lineup. The former has improved his bowling immensely and he finished as the highest wicket-taker against Afghanistan. Axar Patel rounds out the batting unit with his all-round abilities, offering both batting and bowling options in the middle overs.
Lower order and bowlers: Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Mayank Yadav
The bowling unit features Ravi Bishnoi as the primary spinner, supported by Arshdeep Singh with the new ball and Mayank Yadav as a pace option. Mayank Yadav returns to the India setup after missing the T20I series against Afghanistan. This combination provides India with varied bowling options across different phases of the match. Bishnoi will look to make the most of his chances, with premier spinner Varun Chakaravarthy being on the sidelines due to injury.
Predicted XI for India’s T20I series versus West Indies: Sanju Samson (WK), Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer (C), Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Mayank Yadav.
