IND vs WI Dream11 Team Prediction: Defending champions West Indies would be looking to start the home series with a victory.
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The first T20I of the imminent India’s tour of West Indies will be played at Lauderhill today. The first of the three T20Is will commence cricket for both the teams after the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019.
With the ICC World Twenty20 2020 scheduled to happen in just over a year’s time, both teams will look to start building their teams for the next ICC event.
While India are at No. 5 in the MRF Tyres ICC Rankings for T20I teams, defending champions West Indies are at No. 9. However, rankings are of less importance when it comes to West Indies in the shortest format of the game.
IND vs WI Dream11 Team Prediction
Team News
The biggest development which was made public on the eve of the match was regarding West Indies all-rounder Andre Russell making himself unavailable for the first two T20Is. West Indies have included 32-year old all-rounder Jason Mohammed in their squad as Russell’s replacement.
Probable Playing XI
West Indies
1) Sunil Narine 2) Evin Lewis 3) Shimron Hetmyer 4) Nicholas Pooran 5) Kieron Pollard 6) Rovman Powell 7) Carlos Brathwaite 8) Keemo Paul 9) Kharry Pierre 10) Sheldon Cottrell 11) Oshane Thomas
India
1) Shikhar Dhawan 2) Rohit Sharma 3) Virat Kohli (c) 4) Lokesh Rahul 5) Rishabh Pant (wk) 6) Krunal Pandya 7) Ravindra Jadeja 8) Bhuvneshwar Kumar 9) Deepak Chahar 10) Rahul Chahar 11) Khaleel Ahmed
Top Four
West Indies – Sunil Narine, Evin Lewis, Shimton Hetmyer, Nicholas Pooran
India – Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Lokesh Rahul
Big-hitters
West Indies – Kieron Pollard, Carlos Brathwaite
India – Rishabh Pant
Death bowlers
West Indies – Oshane Thomas, Keemo Paul
India – Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Khaleel Ahmed
Pitch conditions and Toss
Considering the flat wicket and small size of the ground, expect runs to flow at will throughout the duration of the match. An aftermath of batsmen going all guns blazing might result in bowlers getting wickets. However, an economic spell from a bowler of either team will have it in it to change the course of the match.
Batsmen score at a run rate of 8.05 at Lauderhill. Out of the 16 T20I innings played at the venue, the 200-run mark has been crossed thrice . Since 2012, the lowest first-inning total at the venue is 143/10 in 19.4 overs (West Indies vs India in 2016).
Out of the seven results in T20Is at Lauderhill, the team batting first has won on six occasions. Therefore, whichever team wins the toss should most probably elect to bat first.
Dream 11 Picks
Wicket-keepers
I have selected a couple of wicket-keeper batsmen for my Dream11 fantasy squad. My first wicket-keeper is West Indies’ Nicholas Pooran. Coming on the back of an IPL strike rate of 157, an ICC Cricket World Cup strike rate of 100.27 and a T20I strike rate of 140.64, expect Pooran to score runs at a brisk pace against India today.
Much like Pooran, a rookie wicket-keeper from India who should do well is Rishabh Pant. Capable of hitting any and every bowler to any and every part of the ground, Pant might eye the shorter side of the ground to accumulate runs especially against their pace attack. Don’t be surprised if you witness Pant go after West Indies left-arm spinner Kharry Pierre as well.
Batsmen
Among the West Indian batsmen, I have picked opening batsman Evin Lewis and middle-order batsman Kieron Pollard. In the three T20Is which Lewis has played against India, he has scored 232 runs at an average of 116 and a strike rate of 198.29 including a couple of centuries. With one of those centuries coming at Lauderhill, there was no way I could have left him out of my squad.
Having scored 52 (21) with the help of three fours and five sixes for Toronto Nationals against Winnipeg Hawks last week, Pollard would be looking to bring the same form into international cricket as well. Having played the Indian Premier League for almost a decade now, Pollard is well-familiar with the Indian bowlers and should come in handy for the hosts in the middle-order.
No detailed reasoning is needed to explain why I have selected India vice-captain Rohit Sharma in my team. His recent form explains everything well in detail. In 10 T20Is against West Indies, Sharma has scored 334 runs at an average of 34.71 and a strike rate of 145.85 including aa century and a couple of half-centuries.
Some might argue regarding me not naming India captain Virat Kohli in this team but the same has been done for a reason. Despite Kohli scoring two half-centuries in six T20Is against West Indies at an average of 53 and a strike rate of 161.83, I have overlooked him citing the possibility that he might bat down the order especially if India get off to a flying start. In such a situation, spending 11 credits on him in a T20I encounter sounds too much.
I have picked Lokesh Rahul as Kohli’s replacement. The last time Rahul batted at Lauderhill he scored his maiden T20I century, 110* (51), with the help of 12 fours and five sixes. As a much mature batsman three years down the line, expect him to make this opportunity count. If you still want to opt for Kohli, I have selected the team in such a way that you will be left with a couple of credits which you can spend on the Indian skipper (if you want to).
All-rounders
The only all-rounder in my squad is India’s Krunal Pandya. In his brief T20I career, Pandya has looked impressive so far with both the ball and the bat. The presence of several right-hand batsman in West Indies’ middle-order could give Pandya an opportunity to be among the wickets.
Bowlers
It goes without saying that I have named Sunil Narine in this team not just as a bowler but a hard-hitting opening batsman as well. Considering his prospects of opening the batting for the hosts, he has it in him to be of dual value for you.
The presence of all-rounders like Krunal Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja in the Indian team means that the visitors will take the field with two left-arm spinners. If they also include debutant Rahul Chahar, make it three bowlers who will bring the ball into the left-hand batsman. It is another reason why I have invested heavily in West Indies’ left-hand batsman in Lewis, Pooran and Narine.
West Indies fast bowler Oshane Thomas’ pace can bring havoc among the Indian batsman and hence he can’t be ignored for this match.
Much like Sharma, I also don’t need to give many reasons to justify the presence of Bhuvneshwar Kumar in my team. The senior most Indian bowler will have several roles to play today. The fact that Bhuvneshwar will bowl both with the new ball and in the death over gives him more chances of getting a wicket.
My last bowler for this team is India’s Khaleel Ahmed. 12 wickets in four T20s at an average of 7.91, an economy rate of 6.47 and a strike rate of 7.3 in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy followed by 19 wickets in nine matches at an average of 15.10, an economy rate of 8.23 and a strike rate of 11 tells us how well Ahmed has done in the T20 format this year. Having dismissed nine batsman in four List A matches during the India A tour of West Indies last month, the 21-year old pacer is also well-versed with the conditions.
