Shreyas Iyer’s side come into the contest on the back of nine consecutive T20I wins, but the quick turnaround from Japan will test their recovery. The series also provides India an opportunity to fine-tune combinations and improve their fielding after 14 misfields across the Asian Games semi-final and final.
Abhishek, Samson under spotlight
Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson are expected to open, with both looking for greater consistency. Abhishek has had an explosive year but has also produced 17 sub-20 scores in 29 T20I innings. Samson, meanwhile, has 11 single-digit scores in 20 innings.
Ishan Kishan offers another aggressive option and has already crossed 1,000 T20I runs in 2026.
West Indies bring firepower
West Indies have strengthened their squad with Shimron Hetmyer, Romario Shepherd, Rovman Powell and Akeal Hosein joining the T20 setup. Kamil Pooran is expected to open with captain Shai Hope, while Hetmyer, Rutherford and Powell give the visitors plenty of power in the middle order.
Pitch and conditions
The Ekana surface has generally offered assistance to bowlers, particularly pacers, although it flattened out during the second half of IPL 2026. Rain is forecast during the day, but conditions are expected to be clear during match hours. Any moisture could give the seamers early assistance.
