India vs Windies 2018, 1st T20I: Dream11 Fantasy Tips

India completed the two-match Test series against Windies in just six days and won the ODI series 3-1 after a couple of hiccups in the first half of the series. However, the T20I series will offer a lot more competition with a couple of star players missing from the Indian team. At the same time, Windies have strengthened their line-up with T20 star players. The Rohit Sharma-led team still has its core intact with the bowling attack which has the potential to halt the aggressive intent of the Windies batsmen.

The series will kick-start on Sunday at the Eden Gardens which could witness a run-feast. India named their 12-man squad for this game and will opt for one of Manish Pandey or Yuzvendra Chahal. Krunal Pandya will be making his debut as the all-rounder. Chahal has a higher chance of facing the axe if the pitch at the Eden doesn’t have a lot in it for the spinners. Teams preferred to go in with at least three spin bowling options while playing here during the IPL.

Match Details:

The first T20I match between India and Windies will be hosted by the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

The match starts at 7:00 PM local time (IST).

Last five ODI matches:

India: W, L, W, W, W.

Windies: L, L, W, W, L.

Pitch Condition/Report:

Eden Gardens stands among the best venue to host Twenty20 cricket. Team prefer to chase at this venue especially under light irrespective of the conditions. The fast outfield nullifies the medium-sized boundaries. The pitch is expected to favour the batsmen which makes 200+ scores a certain possibility.

Squads:

India: Rohit Sharma (C), Shikhar Dhawan, Lokesh Rahul, Manish Pandey, Dinesh Karthik, Rishabh Pant(w), Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, K Khaleel Ahmed, Yuzvendra Chahal, Washington Sundar, Shreyas Iyer, Umesh Yadav, Shahbaz Nadeem.

Windies: Rovman Powell, Nicholas Pooran, Darren Bravo, Shimron Hetmyer, Denesh Ramdin (w), Sherfane Rutherford, Kieron Pollard, Carlos Brathwaite (C), Fabian Allen, Keemo Paul, Oshane Thomas, Khary Pierre, Obed McCoy, Shai Hope.

Probable XI:

India: Rohit Sharma (C), Shikhar Dhawan, Lokesh Rahul, Dinesh Karthik, Rishabh Pant (w), Krunal Pandya, Manish Pandey / Yuzvendra Chahal, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Khaleel Ahmed, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah.

Windies: Rovman Powell, Shai Hope, Darren Bravo, Shimron Hetmyer, Denesh Ramdin/Sherfane Rutherford, Kieron Pollard, Carlos Brathwaite (C), Fabian Allen, Oshane Thomas, Khary Pierre, Obed McCoy.

Power Picks:

Krunal Pandya is set to make his India debut. He could be used as a floater in this batting line-up and warrants four overs with the ball. Windies preferred Kemmo Paul ahead of a better performing Obed McCoy in the ODI series and paid the price. McCoy could make his T20I debut on Sunday with a good posibility of troubling the strong Indian batting.

Best Playing XI:

Rishabh Pant, Rohit Sharma, Darren Bravo, Shimron Hetmyer, Shikhar Dhawan, Lokesh Rahul, Krunal Pandya, Carlos Brathwaite, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Obed McCoy.

Captain and Vice-Captain Selection:

There is a no better option to choose as captain when Rohit Sharma is playing as skipper at the Eden Gardens. Rohit enjoys a great record with the bat at this venue and performs with extra responsibility while leading the team. Darren Bravo and Shimron Hetmyer were brilliant with the bat during the CPL and can be considered for a multiplier option. Kuldeep Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah are decent enough options for the vice-captain.

Expert Advice:

Andre Russell is ruled out of the T20I series due to a knee injury aiding to more T20I debuts from the Windies. Shikhar Dhawan had a raw patch during the ODI series and this T20I series could be either hit or miss for the Indian opener.

Probable Winners:

The chasing side is expected to have an upper hand in this game given the dew factor and the outfield at this venue.

*Disclaimer: This team is based on the understanding, analysis and instinct of the author. While selecting your team, consider the points mentioned and make your own decision.

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