Team India will face the West Indies in a massive T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8 stage showdown clash at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Sunday, March 1. The winner of the contest will become the fourth and final semi-finalist of the tournament, with South Africa, New Zealand, and England, already qualifying through.

India and West Indies have not faced each other in T20Is for a long while, with their last face-off being in 2023. In fact, the last 10 matches these two sides have played against each other have all come in the Caribbean and the United States of America.

The last time the Men in Maroon faced India in the subcontinent, it was during the tour of 2022, where, coincidentally, the entire three-match T20I series was played at the Eden Gardens, the very same venue for the upcoming match.

The third and final T20I of the series, played on February 20, 2022, marks the last time West Indies have played against India in India, and at the Eden Gardens as well.

Team India recorded a 17-run win to clinch the series 3-0

As far as the match is concerned, it was a dead rubber clash as India had won the previous two games to claim an unassailable 2-0 lead. Since they clinched the series, the hosts went with a second-string side as the likes of Virat Kohli, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Rishabh Pant, and Yuzvendra Chahal were rested.

With both Ishan Kishan and Ruturaj Gaikwad featuring in the playing XI, skipper Rohit Sharma had to settle for the No.4 spot. Team India’s restructured batting order did not fire as they were reduced to 93-4 after 14 overs. However, a stunning partnership for the fifth wicket between Suryakumar Yadav and Venkatesh Iyer rescued India to 184-5.

The ace batter scored 65 runs off just 31 deliveries, while the all-rounder smashed a quick-fire 19-ball 35. The duo smashed 86 runs off the last five overs, to almost double India’s total. It was a record for India back then as they had surpassed the previous figure of 80. However, it has now been overtaken after India smashed 103 runs after the 15-over mark in the third T20I against Afghanistan in early 2024.

In reply, West Indies ran into trouble early on as Deepak Chahar struck twice to reduce them to 26-2. While the opposition brought themselves back into the contest with a solid partnership between Nicholas Pooran and Rovman Powell, a staggering collapse followed.

From 73-2, the visitors soon found themselves at 100-6. Nicholas Pooran played a fighting knock of 61 runs off 47 deliveries to keep his side in the contest, but Shardul Thakur eventually dismissed him in the 18th over.

India wrapped up the contest, restricting West Indies to 167-9 at the end of 20 overs, and became the No. 1-ranked team in the world. The 3-0 result took the Men in Blue’s rating to 269, which was enough to overtake England. This was the first time they had claimed the top spot since 2016.

Suryakumar Yadav was adjudged as the player of the match, and also the player of the series for his heroics.