INDORE: With the 2028 T20 World Cup more than two years away, the Indian team has enough time to experiment before picking the ‘Final 15’ best suited to the conditions in host nations Australia and New Zealand.It also presents an opportunity for those looking to break into the T20I side and those trying to hold on to their spots, as the focus will be on preparing the team for the ODI World Cup coming up in a year’s time.This five-match series against the West Indies is immediately followed by a tour of New Zealand from Oct 22. With plenty of T20Is lined up, the team management has room to manoeuvre, assess its resources and identify better options than those currently available.While Abhishek Sharma’s spot looks secure at the moment, the same cannot be said about his opening partner Sanju Samson, who is always under pressure to perform every time he walks out to bat. Breathing down his neck is Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who has impressed every time an opportunity has come his way in recent months. Not to forget Yashasvi Jaiswal, a proven performer in the shortest format, who is now adding wicketkeeping skills to his repertoire in a bid to break into both white-ball teams.Samson, though, showcased his class in the second T20I against the West Indies with a 41-ball 82, silencing his critics, at least for the time being.Tilak Varma was not pleased when he was pushed down to No. 5 and, at times, No. 6 after the 2026 T20 World Cup. However, he is beginning to come to terms with the role and has produced impressive displays, be it his unbeaten 22-ball 51 in the Asian Games gold-medal match against Pakistan or an unbeaten 18-ball 44 in Ranchi. More importantly, he has allayed concerns over his strike rate and is scoring at a brisk pace.The seam-bowling allrounder’s spot is likely to be keenly contested between Shivam Dube and Nitish Kumar Reddy. If Hardik Pandya remains fit, only one of them may make the cut, which makes the battle even more intriguing. Reddy’s bowling is considerably stronger than Dube’s, who conceded 30 runs in two overs in Ranchi, while the 23-year-old Hyderabad youngster’s batting continues to improve with every outing, even though he has not featured in the series so far.With Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana expected to be India’s frontline pacers by Oct 2028, the others will be eager to stay in the mix. Mayank Yadav gave a good account of himself with a fiery spell, while his Lucknow Super Giants teammate Prince Yadav will be keen for an opportunity as well. The young pacers will aim to keep performing with one eye on Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who is set to return for the New Zealand series.In the spin department, Axar Patel and Washington Sundar, who is not featuring in the current series, appear to be best placed thanks to their growing value with the bat. Kuldeep Yadav and Ravi Bishnoi are the other contenders in the race for a spot.
A belter on offer
While coach Gautam Gambhir was highly critical of the pitches offered during the series and called for a better balance between bat and ball. In Ranchi, he said bowlers’ careers were at stake after the West Indies chased down a target of 250 in the second T20I, the second-highest successful chase in the format.The surface became increasingly easier to bat on in the second innings as dew settled in, making it difficult for bowlers to grip the ball.Expect similar conditions in the third T20I at the Holkar Stadium in Indore, where the pitch is traditionally flat, the boundaries are significantly shorter than those in Lucknow and Ranchi, and dew is expected to play a major role.The venue has witnessed one 400-plus and three 330-plus ODI totals, while teams have crossed the 220-run mark twice in T20Is. Another high-scoring contest is therefore on the cards on Sunday.The Indian team arrived in the afternoon and, shortly afterwards, Gambhir and his support staff visited the stadium to inspect the pitch. They had a brief discussion with the ground staff before leaving, anticipating another run-fest on offer.
