India begin a five-match T20I series against West Indies at Lucknow’s Ekana Cricket Stadium on Tuesday, 6 October 2026, only three days after winning Asian Games gold in Japan. The India vs West Indies opener starts at 7 pm IST and marks Gautam Gambhir’s return as head coach of the T20I side, with Shreyas Iyer as captain.
Opening slot is India’s big call
Abhishek Sharma is expected to take one opening spot. The question is his partner: Sanju Samson, who scored nine runs at the Asian Games while batting at No. 3, or teenager Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who made 53 in two matches as an opener. Hindustan Times said Gambhir may lean on Samson’s experience. Bowling coach Morne Morkel said he expected Sooryavanshi to be rotated, but that the decision lay with the selectors, coach and captain.
Morkel named jet lag as a concern. “Some of the guys only arrived a couple of days ago,” he said on Monday, adding that the team would factor this into selection.
India vs West Indies: bowling and batting options
Jasprit Bumrah has been rested for the series. Arshdeep Singh leads the pace attack, and Mayank Yadav returns after back surgery last year. Kuldeep Yadav, who took seven wickets in the three ODIs, and Ravi Bishnoi give India two wrist-spinners, with Axar Patel also available.
The middle order includes vice-captain Tilak Varma, who hit 51 not out off 22 balls in the Asian Games final, along with Ishan Kishan, Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Naman Dhir.
West Indies arrive after ODI consolation
Shai Hope’s West Indies lost the ODI series 2-1 but won the last match. Wicketkeeper-batter Amir Jangoo, who batted well in the ODIs, replaces the injured Jewel Andrew. The touring squad also has Shimron Hetmyer, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford and Shamar Joseph.
India squad: Shreyas Iyer (captain), Tilak Varma (vice-captain), Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Ishan Kishan, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Arshdeep Singh, Prince Yadav, Mayank Yadav and Naman Dhir.
Source: Hindustan Times, The Times of India, Outlook India
Photo: Tushar Singh Patel / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)
Today’s News 6 Oct 2026 · 30 stories
1Himachal kabaddi players to get Rs 1 crore each for Asian Games goldOct 6, 2026- 2India vs Uruguay: Blue Tigers face Forlan’s side in Kolkata tonightOct 6, 2026
- 3IndiGo fuel surcharge hike makes flights costlier from 6 OctoberOct 6, 2026
- 4India vs West Indies 1st T20I: Samson or Sooryavanshi in Lucknow?Oct 6, 2026 · Reading now
5Lasalgaon onion prices ease to ₹46 a kg, but retail stays near ₹65Oct 6, 2026- 6Rajasthan panchayat elections: Congress seeks police probe, BJP readies 3 lakh workersOct 6, 2026
- 7Gold price today: bullion flat on 6 October after MCX slide to ₹1.49 lakhOct 6, 2026
- 8CSIR NCL MTS Recruitment 2026: 24 posts open for Class 10 pass candidatesOct 6, 2026
9JDA clears encroachments on Jaipur’s New Sanganer Road under HC orderOct 6, 2026- 10IOCL Apprentice Recruitment 2026: 335 seats in Western Region, apply by 4 NovemberOct 6, 2026
11Ranthambore leopard alerts: Rajasthan trials Kerala-style sensorsOct 6, 2026
12CDAC Recruitment 2026: 951 project posts open, apply by 26 OctoberOct 6, 2026
13Health groups seek caps on private hospital charges and drug marginsOct 6, 2026- 14Congress announces Vote Bachao Desh Bachao stir against CECOct 6, 2026
- 15Haryana dengue cases rise 58% in 20 days; Gurgaon tops the tallyOct 6, 2026
16Kerala influenza deaths reach 120 this year, nearly triple 2025’s tollOct 6, 2026
17Baththa box office: Vijay Sethupathi film earns ₹11.35 crore in five daysOct 6, 2026
18Digger box office flop: Tom Cruise film opens to $8 million as Verity leadsOct 6, 2026- 19Supreme Court notice on CEC Gyanesh Kumar; says it never cleared new Form 6Oct 6, 2026
20Film City fire hits Pati Patni Aur Panga 2 set; AICWA seeks FIROct 6, 2026
21Richa Chadha says 2026 is not yet a landmark year for content cinemaOct 6, 2026- 22Mahakavya Shri Ramayan Katha producer alleges negative marketingOct 6, 2026
- 23Women’s safety in Delhi: Supreme Court asks police for 24-hour watch cellsOct 6, 2026
- 24Drishyam 3 box office crosses ₹300 crore worldwide after first MondayOct 6, 2026
- 25Supreme Court seeks Centre’s plan for Central Secretariat Library moveOct 6, 2026
26India Mobile Congress 2026 opens 7 October at YashobhoomiOct 6, 2026- 27TRAI won’t act on tariff ‘guesswork’, insists on voice-only plansOct 6, 2026
- 28Vivo V80 and X Fold 6 headline Vivo’s India launch event todayOct 6, 2026
- 29BigEndian gets ₹130 crore to build an India-made AI vision chipOct 6, 2026
30Karnataka AI training to expand to government schools from Class 6Oct 6, 2026
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