West Indies vs India, 1st T20I, Lauderhill, Florida: Preview, predictions, likely XIs

India and West Indies will leave behind the World Cup when they clash in the unlikely destination that is Lauderhill, Florida. As part of the efforts to take cricket to the United States, Florida will stage the first two T20Is of this three-match series. West Indies won’t mind one bit, given they have fared well across the pacific in their past trips.

They played two matches against India at the same venue in 2016. They won the first match, by a solitary run, despite KL Rahul scoring a 51-ball 110*. The second match the next day was delayed because of “technical” and “unavoidable” problems, and then washed out later after a 20-minute shower.

In short, India are yet to win at the venue. This time around, Virat Kohli will lead a youthful, with half an eye on the T20 World Cup next year. If No.4 was an issue for the team in the ODI World Cup, it is an issue for the T20 format too – will Kohli continue in that position? Isn’t India better off with him at No.3 or even as an opener? If he does open, where does that leave Shikhar Dhawan, who has a fine T20I record but nothing trailblazing. Where do the likes of KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey and Rishabh Pant fit in?

There are plenty of questions, and ahead of the T20 World Cup next year, India will need to find answers soon. West Indies, meanwhile, seem to be a lot more sorted in that regard. They have a few good young players in their line-up, and given the team have always been at their best in this format, India could face some problems come.

Head to head

India and West Indies have clashed in 11 T20Is over the years. They have matched each other blow for blow. Both sides have five victories each, with one washout in Lauderhill. However, the last three matches they’ve played – all in India last year – have been won by the home side.

Key players

Andre Russell (West Indies): If he passes his fitness test, Russell will be a shoo-in into the XI for the first Test, and India will know all about him, given what he did to many of the teams these players represented in the IPL. A menace with the ball, and an unstoppable force with the bat, India will be hoping that fitness test returns negative.

Virat Kohli (India): After World Cup campaign that began with a roar but ended in a whimper, with rumours of rifts between captain and vice-captain, and with questions surrounding his own captaincy, there is plenty Kohli needs to set right. That begins with performing on the field, and Kohli will be itching to do just that come Saturday.

Likely XIs

West Indies: John Campbell, Evin Lewis, Shimron Hetmyer, Andre Russell, Kieron Pollard, Nicholas Pooran (wk), Carlos Brathwaite (c), Sunil Narine, Keemo Paul, Sheldon Cottrell, Oshane Thomas

India: Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli (c), KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant (wk), Krunal Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Deepak Chahar, Khaleel Ahmed

Prediction

India to get a hard-fought win.