Lucknow, October 6, 2026 – India and the West Indies kick off their five-match T20I series today with the first match at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow. The contest is scheduled to begin at 7:00 PM IST, with the toss set for 6:30 PM IST.
Shreyas Iyer will captain India, with Tilak Varma as vice-captain. The Indian squad features a mix of established T20 performers and emerging talent, including Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Ishan Kishan, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Mayank Yadav and others. West Indies will be led by Shai Hope.
The series follows India’s 2-1 victory in the preceding three-match ODI series. India hold a strong overall T20I record against the West Indies (20 wins in 31 matches). The five-match rubber will move to Ranchi (October 9), Indore (October 11), Hyderabad (October 14) and Bengaluru (October 17), with all games starting at 7:00 PM IST.
Ekana Stadium has produced varied T20I scores, with an average first-innings total around the mid-150s. Surfaces can offer grip for spinners in the middle overs, and dew may influence the second innings. Live coverage will be available on the Star Sports Network in India, with streaming on JioHotstar.
Both teams will look to set early momentum in the series. India aim to continue their recent form, while West Indies will seek to challenge the hosts on Indian pitches.