India set to take on West Indies in do-or-die Super 8 encounter
India's win will take them to the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 semi-final
Check if Rinku Singh and Sanju Samson will be part of India's playing XI
Defending champions India will fight for their survival in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 when they take on the West Indies at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, on March 01, Sunday. This is a do-or-die Super Eight encounter for both teams as the winners will qualify for the semi-finals.
The Suryakumar Yadav-led India lost their opening Super 8 fixture against South Africa. Despite starting well with the ball, India failed to contain the Proteas onslaught, and the two-time champions ended up chasing a big total (188).
The chase, as it happened, didn't go as planned for India, and they lost the match by 76 runs, a heavy defeat that also hit their Net Run Rate (NRR). The defeat at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad made their road ahead in the competition complicated, needing to win the next two matches to stand a chance to qualify.
Against Zimbabwe, Abhishek Sharma returned to form. Given time to settle down, courtesy Sanju Samson's early fireworks, the left-handed opener scored a half-century. Then the star-studded Indian middle-order sent the Zimbabweans on a leather hunt at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. Skipper Yadav, Hardik Pandya and Tilak Varma played impactful knocks, helping the two-time champions set a massive total on the board.
Rinku Singh, who played the first five matches in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 for India, missed the Zimbabwe game. His father was suffering from cancer, and with his situation deteriorating, the 28-year-old had to rush home.
The finisher returned before the match but didn't play. His father passed away the next day, and Rinku went back home again for the last rites. He has since rejoined the team ahead of the West Indies encounter which will be a do-or-die clash for India.
West Indies, meanwhile, have to make a choice between having Matthew Forde, Akeal Hosein and Roston Chase. Due to the abundance of left handers in the South African side, they opted to not have Hosein and played Forde and Chase instead. West Indies had a batting failure in the first half and despite a resistance from Jason Holder and Romario Shepherd, the bowling barely came to the picture.
India have five left handers in their top eight, which makes it further difficult for West Indies to use eight overs of Akeal Hosein and Gudakesh Motie against them. But given the quality and experience of Hosein and that they still have four more bowlers in Shamar Joseph, Jason Holder, Romario Shepherd and Roston Chase, Hosein is likely to return in place of Matthew Forde.
India Vs West Indies, ICC T20 World Cup 2026: Check India's Predicted Playing XI
India: Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy
West Indies: Brandon King, Shai Hope, Shimron Hetmyer, Roston Chase, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Jason Holder, Romario Shepherd, Akeal Hosein, Gudakesh Motie, Shamar Joseph
Who will India face in the last match of the ICC T20 World Cup Super 8?
India will face West Indies in the last match of the ICC T20 World Cup Super 8.
What will happen if India wins the match?
India will qualify for the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 semi-final.
What if India loses the match against West Indies in ICC T20 World Cup 2026?
India will be knocked out from the race to the semi-final of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026.
Will Rinku Singh feature in the playing XI of Team India?
Rinku is unlikely to feature in Team India's playing XI as he is mourning the loss of his father, despite joining the team practice
Will Sanju Samson be a part of Team India's playing XI?
Yes, after an impactful cameo in the last game, Sanju Samson is likely to continue in Team India's playing XI.
