HomeSports NewsIND vs WI, T20 World Cup Super 8 Preview: Predicted XI, key players, pitch and weather report, where to watch
Whichever team wins this clash will secure a direct qualification to the semi-finals, where England, New Zealand, and South Africa have already booked their berths.
By Tarkesh Jha March 1, 2026, 10:24:01 AM IST (Published)
India will face West Indies at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata in a do-or-die Super 8 clash in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 on Sunday, March 1, at 7:00 pm IST. Whichever team wins this clash will secure a direct qualification to the semi-finals, where England, New Zealand, and South Africa have already booked their berths.
The Men in Blue come into this game on the back of a tremendous 72-run victory against Zimbabwe in Chennai, powered by half-centuries from the likes of Abhishek Sharma (55) and Hardik Pandya (50*), with the latter being named the Player of the Match too.
West Indies, on the other hand, triumphed over Zimbabwe before falling short against the Proteas, setting up this blockbuster fixture.
Predicted Playing XIs
India Playing XI: Sanju Samson, Tilak Varma, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Suryakumar Yadav, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Varun Chakravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh.
West Indies Playing XI: Roston Chase, Shai Hope (c & wk), Shimron Hetmyer, Brandon King, Jason Holder, Sherfane Rutherford, Rovman Powell, Gudakesh Motie, Akeal Hosein, Romario Shepherd, Shamar Joseph.
Key Players to Watch Out
Sanju Samson (India)
Sanju Samson appears to be the trusted man to open the innings for India for the remainder of this World Cup. He played a quick blitz of 24 runs in the previous clash, and the team might bank on him to provide them another impactful start, in addition to elongating that knock to a more substantial innings for the greater benefit for the team as well.
Shai Hope (West Indies)
Shai Hope has brought in a completely new element to the West Indies batting unit. Roping in the trademark style of a traditionalist, he has evolved into the modern-day demands of T20 cricket, anchoring and attacking in equal measure whenever required. He adds a sense of balance to their unit that stabilises the firepower existent within their setup, which could be a challenge for India to unravel in the coming fixture.
Pitch Report
The average first innings score in T20Is on this ground is 161, which suggests that a fair contest between the bat and the ball is on the cards on Sunday.
Weather Report
Clear weather is expected in Kolkata at the time of the match, with temperatures ranging around 26°C. Humidity will be at 66% and the wind will be blowing at 11 km/hr.
Where to Watch
The match will be live-streamed on JioHotstar, and it will be simultaneously telecast on the Star Sports Network. The game begins at 7 pm IST, but the toss will take place half an hour prior to that, at 6:30 pm IST.
