IND vs WI 2021-22, 2nd T20I: Men in Blue eye series win, as Windies struggles to stay alive

After one-sided domination in the opening Twenty20 International (T20I), India and Windies square off in the second T20I at the iconic Eden Gardens Stadium in Kolkata on Friday. The hosts lead the series and will be desperate to seal the series, while the visitors will have to work hard to stay alive. On the same note, we present the match preview.

Current form
India is coming off a series win at home against New Zealand (3-0). While Windies also won its last series against England, it had to toil for it (3-2). therefore, judging by the current form, the momentum favours the Indians. However, it just takes a match to turn things around.

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Team strength & weaknesses, and players to watch out
The Indian squad is very heavy in terms of bowling, as the Windies batter had to struggle to get a par total. However, India's batting possesses superstars to get the job done quickly. Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Rishabh Pant, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Yuzvendra Chahal, Bhuvneshwar Kumar will play vital roles.

As for the Caribbeans, Windies is slightly heavy in its bowling as well. However, with the batting line-up consisting of star power, the department is equally solid and practical. The likes of Kieron Pollard, Darren Bravo, Roston Chase, Jason Holder, Nicholas Pooran, Sheldon Cottrell, Odean Smith and Hayden Walsh could make things challenging for the hosts.

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Injury concerns and head-to-head
While India has no injury scare, the Windies would be wary of all-rounder Holder's niggle. Both sides have faced each other in 18 T20Is, while India leads 11-6. There have been eight meetings in India, as India has a 6-2 lead. In Kolkata, the hosts have won both matches to date.

Weather and pitch report
The weather in Kolkata will be great, with the temperature expected to be around 16-29 degrees. The pitch will be somewhat slow but will have something for the batters while batting second, once the dew kicks in. Chasing would be the preferred choice upon winning the toss.

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Probable XI
IND: Rohit Sharma (c), Ishan Kishan (wk), Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wk), Venkatesh Iyer, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Harshal Patel, Mohammed Siraj and Yuzvendra Chahal.
WI: Brandon King, Rovman Powell, Nicholas Pooran (wk), Kyle Mayers, Kieron Pollard (c), Fabian Allen, Jason Holder, Odean Smith, Akeal Hosein, Sheldon Cottrell and Hayden Walsh.

Fantasy XI
Batters: Rohit (c), Yadav, Mayers - Rohit will give the perfect start, with Yadav firing at number three, while Mayers dominates in the middle-order. Rohit's reliability makes him the skipper.
Wicketkeepers: Pooran (vc), Kishan - Both men have been in deadly form with the bat and are no-brainers here. Pooran's consistency makes him Rohit's deputy.
All-rounders: Pollard, Venkatesh, Chase - Pollard and Venkatesh are sure to rule with the bat, while Chase will be practical with his unpredictable spins.
Bowlers: Chahar, Patel, Bishnoi - Chahar and Patel are sure to conquer with their pace, while Bishnoi will give a tough time to the batters with his unexpected spin.

Match details
Date and day: February 18, 2022 (Friday)
Venue: Eden Gardens Stadium, Kolkata
Time: 7 PM (IST)
Where to watch (TV): Star Sports 1 and Star Sports 1 Hindi (also available in HD)
Where to watch (Online): Hotstar