Who: India vs West Indies
Overview: ICC 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup Super Eight
Location: Eden Gardens, Kolkata, India
When: Sunday, March 1, 7pm (13:30 GMT)
How to follow: All content will be broadcast on Al Jazeera Sports from 10:30 GMT, ahead of the text commentary stream.
India’s final spot in the T20 World Cup semi-finals will be decided when they play West Indies on Sunday, but the equation couldn’t be simpler: whoever wins will qualify for the final four.
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India, the defending champions and co-hosts of the tournament, are dealing with the weight of history. No team has retained the T20 World Cup and no team has won the trophy on their home ground.
West Indies, on the other hand, were gaining momentum until they faced the mighty South Africa in the last match of the Super Eights.
Al Jazeera Sports takes a closer look at the quarter-final matchups of the 2026 tournament.
How did India fare in the 2026 T20 World Cup?
India has endured a crowded tournament so far, with their top-order batsmen failing to hit the mark.
A below-average victory in the opening group stage game against the United States was quickly forgotten after a comprehensive victory against rival Pakistan clinched the spot. With India now certain to advance to the second phase, they defeated the Netherlands and secured their place at the top with three wins from three games.
For India, the Super Eights started with a loss to South Africa, who won the final in 2024, making the match against Zimbabwe a must-win match. Abhishek Sharma returned to form by scoring 50 in a 72-run win against the Africans. However, all-rounder Hardik Pandya was named the Player of the Match for his half-century and performance with the ball.
How did West Indies fare in the 2026 T20 World Cup?
West Indies’ four-game winning streak in this tournament came to an end with a nine-wicket defeat against South Africa in their last match.
The biggest test of all the wins so far was the first game, where they defeated England by 30 points. In the opening games of the Super Eight, they won against Nepal, Italy, and Zimbabwe.
The winner-take-all match against India will be the Caribbean team’s first high-pressure test of the tournament.
What will be the Group 1 standings in the 2026 T20 World Cup?
South Africa, who face Zimbabwe in their first match of the day on Sunday, have already qualified with four points from two games. The latter have already been eliminated after losses to West Indies and India.
What did India say before their T20 World Cup clash against West Indies?
India revived their T20 World Cup campaign with a ‘fearless’ brand of cricket against Zimbabwe.
Led by opener Abhishek Sharma’s incredible 55 and Hardik Pandya’s unbeaten 50, the defending champions’ batting line-up amassed a total of 256-4, the second highest in the history of the tournament.
At the Chidambaram Stadium in Massachusetts, the Indian batsmen put on a brutal power-hitting show, crushing the opposition bowling with 17 sixes and 17 fours. This is India’s future policy.
“We want to play against Zimbabwe and play fearless cricket, which is the brand of cricket we have been playing since last year,” batsman Tilak Varma said before the match against West Indies.
“We want to continue to have the same intention in the next game. And heading into the tournament, we will bring the same intensity (forward).”
Can India’s batting continue its good form against the West Indies?
Left-hander Varma hit a 19-ball 44, leveling Pandya with an unbeaten 84. Pandya concluded the innings with two sixes and scored 50 runs.
India revised their opening combination with the return of Sanju Samson and everything came together as he gave the team a quick start with 24 off 15 balls.
The left-handed Abhishek struggled in the tournament with three ducks in four innings, but continued his good form in his first 50 T20 World Cup matches.
“It’s important to get a good start in the opening race. The same confidence will carry over to No. 3, No. 4 and No. 5,” Varma said.
“And we discussed that no matter the situation, (even) if we lost three or four wickets in the powerplay, we would bat in the same rhythm,” he added.
“And we want to show fear to the opposition bowlers that they are ready to hit every ball.”
What went wrong with India’s batting?
India, the world’s top-ranked T20 team, entered the World Cup on the back of huge scores in bilateral competitions and could cross the 300-run mark in the tournament.
However, their batting looked fragile, and in the first game they were often exposed to the small fry of the United States, and the score dropped to 77-6 in the opening game.
Varma remains cautious about his team’s plans against West Indies, who posted 254-6 against Zimbabwe in the Super Eights opener.
“So if the wicket is not good, we adjust and maintain that intensity,” Varma said.
“I’m not saying I want to score over 250 points, but if I can get off to a good start, I’m definitely going to aim for that.”
How did India’s bowling fare in the T20 World Cup?
India’s bowling seems to be doing well. On Thursday, speedy left-armer Arshdeep Singh posted a record of 3-24 to limit Zimbabwe to 184-6.
He surpassed senior paceman Jasprit Bumrah with 35 wickets, ahead of Bumrah’s 33, making him the top bowler in India’s T20 World Cup squad.
“We have been doing well in the last few years, so even after failures and losses, the group’s belief was there,” Arshdeep told reporters.
“We knew that if we just come and follow the process, the results will come. So the idea is very simple and we enjoy it.”
What happened in the last T20 between India and West Indies?
This will be the first T20 encounter between the two sides since the bilateral series in August 2023, when West Indies won the series 3-2.
West Indies secured a two-wicket victory in the final match to seal the series. India were restricted to 165/9 despite Suryakumar Yadav scoring 61 off 45 balls.
direct confrontation
This will be the 31st T20 international between the two teams, with India winning 19 of the previous matches. West Indies won 10 matches and one match was inconclusive.
How did the teams fare in the T20 World Cup?
Interestingly, while West Indies have won three out of four T20 World Cup matches, India have only recorded one win, and that was in 2014.
indian team news
Indian batsman Rinku Singh left the team midway through the T20 World Cup following the death of his father after a long illness.
The middle-order batsman had returned to India ahead of Thursday’s Super Eight match against Zimbabwe, but was not included in the squad for the Chennai match.
Shivam Dube is expected to continue in his place as a left-handed pitcher, while Kuldeep Yadav could come in to add another spin option.
west indies team news
Brandon King is the biggest concern for West Indies ahead of the match against India after sustaining an injury against South Africa. The leadoff batter was injured diving while trying to make a catch and was unable to play the rest of the game.
If West Indies opt out of the spin option and opt for a more seam-heavy attack, Shamar Joseph will be an option to replace Gudakesh Motier.
Expected Indian team
Abhishek Sharma Sanju Samson (wk), Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah
Expected West Indies team
Brandon King, Johnson Charles, Shai Hope (c & wk), Shimron Hetmyer, Rovman Powell, Sherfan Rutherford, Romario Shepherd, Jason Holder, Aqeel Hossain, Gudakesh Moti, Matthew Ford
India and West Indies create guide
India’s last 5 matches (latest results last)
WWWWW West Indies last 5 matches (latest results last)
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