India return to T20I action on Tuesday when Shreyas Iyer’s side take on West Indies in the first match of the three-game series at Lucknow’s Ekana Stadium, with the hosts facing key selection calls ahead of the contest. The biggest question for India is who joins Abhishek Sharma at the top, with Sanju Samson and teenage batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi competing for the second opening slot.
The match will be India’s first international assignment after their gold medal-winning campaign at the Asian Games 2026. With West Indies bringing a group of experienced T20 players familiar with Indian conditions, the opening encounter is expected to offer a tougher test for the hosts than some of their recent assignments against lower-ranked opposition.
