India take on West Indies as Suryakumar Yadav won the toss and elected to bowl first in their do-or-die T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8 clash at the Eden Gardens stadium on March 1. The winner of the match will progress to the T20 World Cup 2026 semifinals and will join South Africa and England.
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What did the captains say after the toss?
India captain Suryakumar Yadav, after winning the toss, said:
"We will bowl first tonight. Looks good. It has been a chasing ground, wicket gets even better so chasing is a good option. It's already wild and we will look to give a good show to the crowd. I think we ticked all the boxes last game. Same team."
Meanwhile, West Indies skipper Shai Hope, after losing the toss, said:
"We would have done the same (bowling). Playing consistent cricket is key for us. Most of the guys have been part of the IPL and hopefully we can come out on top today. It's a do or die game today. This is what we play for - to play against big teams, best teams. One change, Akeal Hosein comes in for Brandon King."
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India's Playing XI:
Sanju Samson(w), Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav(c), Hardik Pandya, Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah
West Indies' Playing XI:
Shai Hope(w/c), Roston Chase, Shimron Hetmyer, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd, Jason Holder, Matthew Forde, Akeal Hosein, Gudakesh Motie, Shamar Joseph
Pitch report
"The tension is quite palpable as we approach the start of this winner-take-all affair. The weather is set fair. The venue is an absolute spectacle. It is a high-scoring ground. And what do the dimensions look like? Well, if you're bowling from the clubhouse end, it's 73 metres straight over the bowler's head, equidistant almost square of the wicket, so parity on both sides. Lots of sixes are being struck here, but there's also value for your shots along the ground, one of the fastest outfields in world cricket. What about the surface then? What a beautiful venue, but also, what an outstanding pitch that we've got here this evening. Right, what we've got here is we've got some really living grass here, not too dry. One end is a little drier than the other, I feel, with a little less grass, but generally speaking, this is a six-hitting paradise. You've seen both of these two squads just powering through the early phases and through the middle of the West Indies who have got the best use of it with the new pitch," Samuel Badree and Matthew Hayden analysed the pitch.