For quite a while now, a lot of ink has been spilt on the packed schedule, especially for Team India. While that is often used to justify the gruelling fixtures, the powers that be need to seriously think about how much is too much. The country is blessed with an immense pool of talent, so much so that it can easily field multiple squads across formats.
Now this assignment offers a chance to test the squad against a formidable Caribbean outfit. The side lost six games on the bounce in completed games, including a shock 0-2 defeat to Ireland followed by another wipeout in England (0-4). Following that, India breezed past Zimbabwe (3-0) and, more recently, Afghanistan (3-0).
The Men in Blue’s record in T20Is since the World Cup triumph earlier this year has been mixed. Just two days after beating arch-rival Pakistan to secure a gold medal at the Asian Games, Shreyas Iyer’s men will be out on the park again to take on West Indies in a five-match T20I series that starts here at the Ekana Stadium on Tuesday.
With the next World Cup scheduled in late 2028, it is an ideal time to experiment and groom the next batch. Match starts at 7 p.m. However, one player who is under scrutiny is Sanju Samson. The wicketkeeper-batter has had a lean run since the World Cup, barring his two half-centuries against Afghanistan. One thing to watch is how the think-tank handles Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and helps him find his feet in international cricket. The visitor, meanwhile, will hope to put the ODI series defeat aside. The return of T20 specialists like Shimron Hetmyer, Rovman Powell and Romario Shepherd adds the much-needed firepower. On their day, any one of the trio can take the game away from the opposition quickly. Though India will start as favourite, Shai Hope’s men will be keen to give the home team a run for their money.
The bowling, too, will be bolstered with the addition of left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein, who had an impressive IPL for Chennai Super Kings earlier this year.