Ranchi: A Shreyas Iyer masterclass, a record chase, and now a festive crowd in Ranchi. India take on the West Indies in the 2nd T20I of the five-match series at the JSCA International Stadium Complex tonight, with the match starting at 7:00 PM IST and the toss at 6:30 PM IST. India lead the series 1–0 after a commanding eight-wicket win in the Lucknow opener on October 6.
The first T20I was a statement performance from the back-to-back T20 World Cup winners. After debutant all-rounder Naman Dhir’s three-for and two wickets each from Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav restricted the Windies to 171 in 19.1 overs — Shai Hope and Sherfane Rutherford scored half-centuries — India hunted down the 172-run target in just 14.4 overs. Captain Iyer’s unbeaten 102 off 43 balls, reportedly the fastest T20I hundred by an Indian against the West Indies, came in an unbeaten 137-run stand with Ishan Kishan off just 67 balls.
For tonight, India are unlikely to tinker with a winning combination. The expected XI keeps Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson at the top, Ishan Kishan at one-down, Iyer and Tilak Varma anchoring the middle, and Shivam Dube providing the power option. Axar Patel, Naman Dhir, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav and Mayank Yadav are expected to complete the side, giving India a balanced mix of pace and spin.
The West Indies, meanwhile, need answers with the ball. Hope’s leadership and Rutherford’s batting were the positives from Lucknow, but their pace attack could not stem the flow of runs. The likely visitors’ XI: Shai Hope (captain and wicketkeeper), Kamil Pooran, Shimron Hetmyer, Roston Chase, Sherfane Rutherford, Rovman Powell, Romario Shepherd, Matthew Forde, Shamar Springer, Akeal Hosein and Shamar Joseph. Expect the Windies to back their power-hitters and hope the dew factor keeps India honest in the chase.
The JSCA pitch is known for producing high-scoring nights. Previews describe a batting-friendly surface where the ball comes on nicely early and slows later, bringing cutters and spin into play; average first-innings scores at the venue hover around the 160s. Toss-winners here tend to bowl first, with dew expected in the second innings making totals hard to defend. The weather, mercifully, looks clear and warm — a full match is on the cards.
The context is wide: this is part of the West Indies’ eight-match white-ball tour of India, with remaining T20Is scheduled for Indore (October 11), Hyderabad (October 14) and Bengaluru (October 17). Head-to-head, India hold a commanding 21–10 edge across 32 T20Is, with one match ending without a result. Live telecast is on the Star Sports Network, with streaming on JioHotstar.
