Kolkata, Feb 28 (IANS) India face a must-win Super Eights clash against the West Indies at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Sunday, with a place in the semi-finals of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 hanging in the balance.

The qualification scenario eased considerably for the hosts after South Africa handed West Indies a heavy defeat in the Super Eights. Prior to that result, India’s path depended not only on victories but also on achieving dominant winning margins against both Zimbabwe and West Indies.

South Africa’s win, however, reduced the equation to a straightforward requirement: victories in their remaining fixtures would be enough to secure progression. India responded strongly by clearing the first hurdle with a commanding 72-run triumph over Zimbabwe, turning their final Super Eights fixture into a virtual quarterfinal contest.

The turnaround followed a disappointing 76-run loss to South Africa, with India rediscovering their batting firepower in emphatic fashion against Zimbabwe. Invited to bat, they piled up an imposing 256, led by a blistering 30-ball 55 from Abhishek Sharma, whose return to form came as a timely boost for the team management.

However, concerns remain over the form of mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy, who has delivered consecutive underwhelming outings, leaving India with key questions to address ahead of their decisive encounter.

Head-to-head record between India and the West Indies in T20Is

Total Matches Played: 30

India Won: 19

West Indies Won: 10

Performance of both teams in their last 5 matches

India: W, W, W, L, W

West Indies: W, W, W, W, L

Squads:

India: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Ishan Kishan (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Washington Sundar, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Sanju Samson (wk), Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel.

West Indies: West Indies: Sikandar Raza (c), Brian Bennett, Ryan Burl, Graeme Cremer, Bradley Evans, Clive Madande, Tinotenda Maposa, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Wellington Masakadza, Tony Munyonga, Tashinga Musekiwa, Blessing Muzarabani, Dion Myers, Richard Ngarava

–IANS

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