India vs West Indies Prediction & Match Preview – 1st T20I, Lucknow
Match summary
India won by 8 wickets: India 172/2 (14.4 ov), West Indies 171 (19.1 ov). Player of the match: Shreyas Iyer.
Our preview of India vs West Indies in the 1st T20I at Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow on 6 October 2026: likely XIs, slow pitch, weather and scores.
Match details
| Match | India vs West Indies, 1st T20I |
|---|---|
| Series | West Indies tour of India 2026 |
| Date | 6 Oct 2026 |
| Start time | 1:30 pm GMT / 7:00 pm local |
| Venue | Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow |
| Status | Result |
| Result | India won by 8 wickets |
| Player of the match | Shreyas Iyer |
| Our pick | India ✓ |
| Toss pick | India |
Matches in this series
Match preview
India and West Indies begin the T20I leg of the series at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on Tuesday 6 October, with a 7:00 pm local start.
India, captained by Shubman Gill, are expected to include Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ruturaj Gaikwad and KL Rahul, with Naman Dhir and Ravindra Jadeja in the middle order. Auqib Nabi, Gurnoor Brar, Kuldeep Yadav and Prasidh Krishna are the likely bowlers, with Yashasvi Jaiswal, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Dhruv Jurel and Mohammed Siraj in the squad.
West Indies, led by Shai Hope, have John Campbell, Keacy Carty, Amir Jangoo and Sherfane Rutherford in the likely batting order, with Roston Chase and Keemo Paul as all-rounders. Alzarri Joseph, Shamar Joseph, Jayden Seales and Vitel Lawes lead the bowling.
The middle overs are likely to be decisive, with spin potentially controlling the scoring rate. The pitch can slow, so chasing may be tough if wickets fall regularly.
The Ekana Stadium pitch is generally slow and slightly helpful to bowlers, with grip and turn for spinners in the middle overs and cutters and slower balls working for pacers. Batters may find stroke-making hard early and need time before accelerating, and the relatively large boundaries make shot selection and strike rotation important. It is expected to be a tactical surface where disciplined bowling counts.
Warm at 26–28°C with partly cloudy to clear skies at the 7:00 pm local start. Humidity should be around 65–70% and the chance of rain is very low. Light winds are expected, and some dew could make the ball skid on later, possibly helping the chasing side.
Expected scores
| Innings | Predicted | Actual |
|---|---|---|
| First innings | 160–170 | 172/2 (14.4 ov) |
| Second innings | 150–165 | 171 (19.1 ov) |
India
India are our pick for the T20I opener, helped by spin options on a slow Lucknow surface.
Toss pick: India
FAQ
What kind of pitch is expected in Lucknow?
A slow, slightly bowler-friendly surface where spinners and cutters can be effective.
What is a strong total?
A first-innings score of 175 or more would put the batting side in a strong position.
Who is expected to win?
Our preview picks India, who are also tipped to win the toss.
Probable XIs
Expected line-ups from our preview. c = captain, wk = wicketkeeper.
India
- Rohit Sharma
- Shubman Gillc
- Virat Kohli
- Ruturaj Gaikwad
- KL Rahulwk
- Naman Dhir
- Ravindra Jadeja
- Auqib Nabi
- Gurnoor Brar
- Kuldeep Yadav
- Prasidh Krishna
West Indies
- John Campbell
- Keacy Carty
- Shai Hopec, wk
- Amir Jangoo
- Sherfane Rutherford
- Roston Chase
- Keemo Paul
- Alzarri Joseph
- Shamar Joseph
- Jayden Seales
- Vitel Lawes
Head-to-head
Earlier meetings of India and West Indies that we covered: India 1, West Indies 1 wins.