India vs West Indies Prediction & Match Preview – T20 World Cup 2026, 52nd Match

India and the West Indies meet at Eden Gardens in the 52nd match of the T20 World Cup 2026. India come in after a 72-run win over Zimbabwe. Put in to bat, they made 256 in 20 overs: Abhishek Sharma struck 55 from 30 balls, Hardik Pandya was unbeaten on 50 from 23, Tilak Varma stayed not out on 44 and Ishan Kishan added 38.

The bowlers then defended the total, with Zimbabwe finishing on 184. Arshdeep Singh took 3 for 24, Varun Chakaravarthy 1 for 35, and Axar Patel and Shivam Dube a wicket apiece, while Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah went wicketless.

The West Indies are looking to recover from a nine-wicket defeat by South Africa. After being sent in they made 176, helped by Romario Shepherd’s unbeaten 52 off 37 and Jason Holder’s 49 off 31, but Brandon King made 21 and captain Shai Hope 16. Only Roston Chase (1 for 46) took a wicket as South Africa reached 177 in 16.1 overs.

India’s form and batting depth make them the side to beat on a surface that rewards strokeplay, though the West Indies’ power-hitting means they cannot be written off.

Probable playing XI

Pitch report

Eden Gardens usually plays well early, with true bounce, pace and a fast outfield with some shorter boundaries, so first-innings totals from the mid-150s to 180-plus are common. The surface can slow as the game goes on, helping spinners in the middle overs, and seamers need to lean on variations. Dew under lights can make bowling harder later, which is why captains winning the toss sometimes choose to field.

Weather

Early March evenings in Kolkata are expected to be clear and pleasant, with mainly sunny skies through the day and no significant rain forecast. Temperatures should ease from the afternoon highs to about 19–24°C by the 7:00 pm start, with moderate humidity.

Expected scores

• 1st innings: 175–195
• 2nd innings: 170–190

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