India vs West India: Fifth T20 International – teams, start, lineups, Hope
India host West Indies in the final match of the tour on Saturday with an all-time classic T20 series level at 2-2.
India and West Indies are set to face off in the fifth and final T20I at Bengaluru's M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Saturday, with the series currently tied at 2-2. The West Indies batting lineup has been formidable, netting 247 runs in their previous match, and India's bowlers have struggled, conceding 52 runs in both the fourth and third games.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar's return to the attack, replacing the injured Arshdeep Singh, brings both experience and a fresh perspective to the squad. His knack for taking wickets both at the start and end of innings could be crucial in containing the West Indies' top-order firepower.
Changes to the batting order are also expected, with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi potentially taking Abhishek Sharma's spot, given the former's ability to perform under pressure. Sanju Samson, who has shown form during the series, is likely to get the nod ahead of Abhishek, based on his impressive 56 off 23 balls in Hyderabad. Kuldeep Yadav might be called back into the lineup instead of Axar Patel, who has been struggling with both bat and ball throughout the series.
The predicted playing XI for India features Sanju Samson at wicketkeeper, with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, followed by Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer (c), Tilak Varma, Naman Dhir, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Prince Yadav, and Mayank Yadav. West Indies' lineup, led by Shai Hope, includes key players such as Jewel Andrew, Shimron Hetmyer, Rovman Powell, Keemo Paul, Roston Chase, and Shamar Springer.
Written by urgent.news from The Indian Express's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
This story
This is one outlet's version. Read the fullest account.
