Naman Dhir makes T20I debut (Image: BCCI/X)
Dhir, who made his ODI debut on September 27, received his maiden T20I cap from Arshdeep Singh ahead of the match. Captain Shreyas Iyer confirmed that India have opted to bowl first, with dew expected to come into play later in the evening.
West Indies captain Shai Hope said his side would also have preferred to chase, particularly with dew likely to make conditions easier for the batting side later in the game. “In India, it’s usually a lot better to chase, especially due to dew coming into play,” Hope said. He stressed the importance of adapting quickly to different conditions and said West Indies would rely on their experienced players to support the younger members of the squad.
Naman Dhir makes his T20I debut against West Indies in the opening game of the five-match series, while teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has been left out of India’s playing XI in Lucknow. It is also a landmark occasion for West Indies spinner Akeal Hosein, who is playing his 100th T20I. The notable omission from India’s XI is Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who featured in the Asian Games gold-medal match against Pakistan. The youngster is still waiting to make his India debut on home soil. “We are going to bowl first. It’s a mixed soil. There will be some dew as well. Travel was pretty hectic.
Came last night, today we have turned up for the game but we are in the zone,” Iyer said at the toss.