India will kickstart their home series against West Indies with the first Twenty-20 International (T20I) of the three-match series in Hyderabad.

IND vs WI, 1st T20I: Match Details

Date: December 6, 2019

Time: 7 PM IST

Venue: Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad

IND vs WI, 1st T20I: Match Preview

With yet another T20I Series at home and that too against West Indies, it should be an easy time-out in the office for the Men in Blue yet again.

However, captain Kohli and head coach Ravi Shastri have set their eyes firmly on the T20 World Cup, to be held in Australia next year, and are treating these series as the auditioning platform to look for the perfect combination.

Having whitewashed the same opponents at their own den three months back, the upcoming series provides India the best opportunity to give chance to and test the fresh talents.

Players like Manish Pandey, Sanju Samson and Washington Sundar, who are coming on the back of stupendous performances in the recently-concluded Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy will be eager for a spot in the playing eleven.

Meanwhile, the best thing that has happened is the comeback of Bhuvneshwar Kumar. One of the finest white-ball cricketers among the current batch of Indian players, his inclusion in the preparation for the T20 World Cup was a much-required one.

For the visitors, after winning the last T20 World Cup 2016 in India, they have gradually seen their tag of ‘Best T20 team’ being taken away from them.

The numbers have also added further to their misery. Since the 2016 T20 World Cup final, West Indies have won only 11 matches in the 39 they have played.

The series against India, who possibly have the best bowling attack in the world at the moment, will be a tough challenge for the young Windies batsmen and should they prevail in these conditions it will be a huge morale booster for the Kieron Pollard-led team.

IND vs WI, 1st T20I: Pitch Report

The track at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium is known for its surprise elements. It can be absolute batting heaven for a day and on the very next day it can turn into a slow burner assisting the spinners and slower bowlers.

All in all, the captain winning the toss shall be asking his bowlers to flex their arms in the first innings itself. With the dew likely to play its part, chasing seems a good option and also the numbers are in the favour of the team batting second.

Average score batting first has been 172 in the 8 IPL games that were played here. Chasing team won five of the eight matches. Also, this will be the first-ever International T20 game at the venue.

IND vs WI, 1st T20I: Probable Playing XI

India: Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli (Captain), Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant (Wicketkeeper), Manish Pandey/Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Deepak Chahar, Bhuvneshwar Kumar.

West Indies: Evin Lewis, Lendl Simmons/Brandon King, Shimron Hetmyer, Denesh Ramdin (Wicketkeeper), Kieron Pollard (Captain), Fabian Allen, Jason Holder, Keemo Paul, Sheldon Cottrell, Kesrick Williams, Hayden Walsh Jr.

IND vs WI, 1st T20I: Squads

India: Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli (Captain), Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant (Wicketkeeper), Manish Pandey, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Deepak Chahar, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami.

West Indies: Evin Lewis, Lendl Simmons, Shimron Hetmyer, Denesh Ramdin (Wicketkeeper), Kieron Pollard (Captain), Fabian Allen, Jason Holder, Keemo Paul, Sheldon Cottrell, Kesrick Williams, Hayden Walsh Jr., Nicolas Pooran, Brandon King, Sherfane Rutherford, Khary Pierre.

India vs West Indies 1st T20I: Live Streaming Details

Where can I watch India vs West Indies 1st T20I match on television?

The India vs West Indies 1st T20I match will be telecast on the Star Sports Network.

How can I watch the online streaming of India vs West Indies 1st T20I match? 

The online streaming of the India vs West Indies 1st T20I match will be available on Hotstar and Jio TV app.