IND vs WI, T20Is: In-form India Hold Aces Against Unpredictable Windies

Hosts India will hold the edge over Gayle-less Windies team in the upcoming 3-match T20 series beginning from Thursday at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium at Hyderabad

Virat Kohli-led India will be locking horns with West Indies in a 3-match T20 international series, with the first game slated to played at the Rajiv Gandhi International stadium in Hyderabad on Friday. The 'Men In Blue' will go into the T20 international series as overwhelming favorites against the visitors owing to a superior head to head record and current form in the shortest format of the game. While Virat Kohli would return as the captain of the Indian T2O unit, Kieron Pollard would skipper the Maroon Brigade for the second consecutive series after skippering them against Afghanistan. Head to Head Record in T20Is India hold the aces against West Indies, winning eight out 8 of the 14 T20 internationals played between the two sides. India clean swept the the Windies when the teams last met in a 3-match T20 series played in United States of America and the West Indies. When the 'Maroon Brigade' last time locked horns with India, they were whitewashed 3-0. Recent Form While India defeated Bangladesh (2-1) in their recently concluded T20 series, Windies were handed a upset defeat by Afghanistan (1-2) in their last T20 engagement played at the Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium. India seem to have the edge in terms of experience, depth and balance over their Caribbean counterparts. While India have a mix of seasoned campaigners in Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma and promising youngsters in Deepak Chahar and Rishabh Pant, Chris Gayle-less Windies are still looking to get their balance and combination right in a format they have historically done well in. ICC T20 Rankings  While India currently occupying the fifth spot are placed in the middle of the ICC T20 rankings table, defending World champions West Indies are languishing at the bottom, placed 10th  in the rankings. With the series serving as a build up to the ICC T20 World Cup scheduled to be played in Australia next year, both sides would to eager to look at how the youngsters who have been brooded into the team fare in the opportunities presented to them. India T20I Squad: Virat Kohli (captain), Rohit Sharma (vice-captain), Shikhar Dhawan (replaced by Sanju Samson), KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Deepak Chahar, Mohammed Shami, Bhuvneshwar Kumar. West Indies T20I: Fabian Allen, Brandon King, Denesh Ramdin, Sheldon Cottrell, Evin Lewis, Sherfane Rutherford, Shimron Hetmyer, Khary Pierre, Lendl Simmons, Jason Holder, Kieron Pollard (C), Hayden Walsh Jr, Keemo Paul, Nicholas Pooran, Kesrick Williams.