Kuldeep Yadav was rested for the third T20I in Indore following a tough, expensive spell in Ranchi
West Indies won the toss, opted to bowl, and brought a 1-1 series tie into the match after a record-shattering chase
Nitish Kumar Reddy and Prince Yadav replaced Kuldeep and Shivam Dube to bolster India's pace options
Kuldeep Yadav has missed out on India’s playing XI for the third T20I against West Indies at Indore’s Holkar Stadium. West Indies won the toss and chose to bowl. Captain Shreyas Iyer then confirmed that Kuldeep and Shivam Dube were rested, with Nitish Kumar Reddy and Prince Yadav coming in. The change adds pace on a ground known for small boundaries and flat batting surfaces.
Kuldeep’s omission follows a tough outing in Ranchi. He was the only Indian to take a wicket outside the powerplay, but his four overs went for 53 runs and brought just one wicket, that of Sherfane Rutherford, who had hit him for two sixes in 10 balls. His effectiveness has been waning as matches on this tour have got shorter.
The series itself has swung sharply. India began with an eight-wicket win in Lucknow, powered by Iyer’s unbeaten 102 off 43 balls. Ranchi was a different story. India posted 249/5, yet Mayank Yadav’s two wickets in the first over of the reply could not stop West Indies from chasing it down in 18.3 overs with six wickets to spare. A total of 501 runs came in just 38.3 overs.
With the five-match series level at 1-1, the bowling attack is under pressure on pitches that favour batters. Hyderabad and Bengaluru host the last two games, on October 14 and 17.
India Vs West Indies 3rd T20I: Toss Update
West Indies have won the toss and have opted to bowl first.
India Vs West Indies 3rd T20I: Playing XIs
West Indies: Shai Hope(w/c), Kamil Pooran, Shimron Hetmyer, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Quentin Sampson, Keemo Paul, Roston Chase, Shamar Springer, Shamar Joseph, Gudakesh Motie
India: Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson(w), Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer(c), Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Naman Dhir, Axar Patel, Mayank Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Prince Yadav
