India will look to double their series lead when they face the West Indies in the second T20I of the five-match series at the JSCA International Stadium in Ranchi on Friday, October 9, with the match scheduled to begin at 7:00 PM IST.
The hosts head into the contest on the back of a commanding eight-wicket win in the series opener at Lucknow on October 6. India chased down 172 in just 14.4 overs after bowling the West Indies out for 171 in 19.1 overs. Captain Shreyas Iyer led from the front with an unbeaten 102 off 43 balls — his maiden T20I hundred — while debutant Naman Dhir claimed 3-31 and Ishan Kishan contributed an unbeaten 37 in an unbroken 137-run stand with Iyer.
One selection question hangs over the home side. Sanju Samson's lean run is the lone sore point in an otherwise firing batting line-up: his last four innings read 9, 7, 2 and 11. That has revived the debate over whether the team management should pair teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi with Abhishek Sharma at the top. India have so far backed the established Abhishek-Samson combination — Samson was even accommodated at No. 3 during the Asian Games while Sooryavanshi opened — but the five-match series against the Caribbean side could prove significant for a player who cannot lean on past World Cup performances forever.
The West Indies, meanwhile, must find a way to contain Iyer, who has climbed to No. 7 in the ICC rankings and led India to Asian Games gold before his Lucknow century. Shai Hope, who scored two ODI centuries on this tour and 52 in the opener, and Sherfane Rutherford, whose 50 came off only 31 balls, remain their key batting threats. Matthew Forde, who conceded 24 in a single over in Lucknow, will want a far better night with the ball.
The series moves across Lucknow, Ranchi, Indore, Hyderabad and Bengaluru. A win in Ranchi would put India 2-0 up with three to play and keep their commanding recent record against the Caribbean side intact. The match will be streamed live on JioHotstar and telecast on the Sports18 network.
Sources: The Economic Times — IND vs WI 2nd T20I: Samson-Sooryavanshi dilemma resurfaces as India eye 2-0 lead, Cricket News — India vs West Indies 2nd T20I prediction, pitch report for Ranchi
The hosts head into the contest on the back of a commanding eight-wicket win in the series opener at Lucknow on October 6. India chased down 172 in just 14.4 overs after bowling the West Indies out for 171 in 19.1 overs. Captain Shreyas Iyer led from the front with an unbeaten 102 off 43 balls — his maiden T20I hundred — while debutant Naman Dhir claimed 3-31 and Ishan Kishan contributed an unbeaten 37 in an unbroken 137-run stand with Iyer.
One selection question hangs over the home side. Sanju Samson's lean run is the lone sore point in an otherwise firing batting line-up: his last four innings read 9, 7, 2 and 11. That has revived the debate over whether the team management should pair teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi with Abhishek Sharma at the top. India have so far backed the established Abhishek-Samson combination — Samson was even accommodated at No. 3 during the Asian Games while Sooryavanshi opened — but the five-match series against the Caribbean side could prove significant for a player who cannot lean on past World Cup performances forever.
The West Indies, meanwhile, must find a way to contain Iyer, who has climbed to No. 7 in the ICC rankings and led India to Asian Games gold before his Lucknow century. Shai Hope, who scored two ODI centuries on this tour and 52 in the opener, and Sherfane Rutherford, whose 50 came off only 31 balls, remain their key batting threats. Matthew Forde, who conceded 24 in a single over in Lucknow, will want a far better night with the ball.
The series moves across Lucknow, Ranchi, Indore, Hyderabad and Bengaluru. A win in Ranchi would put India 2-0 up with three to play and keep their commanding recent record against the Caribbean side intact. The match will be streamed live on JioHotstar and telecast on the Sports18 network.
Sources: The Economic Times — IND vs WI 2nd T20I: Samson-Sooryavanshi dilemma resurfaces as India eye 2-0 lead, Cricket News — India vs West Indies 2nd T20I prediction, pitch report for Ranchi
