West Indies captain Shai Hope won the toss and chose to bowl against India in the fifth and final T20I at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Saturday. Rain interruptions have reduced the match to nine overs per side.
With the five-match series tied at 2-2, the winner will secure the series. India have also brought back fast bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar and all-rounder Shivam Dube for the decisive encounter.
Officials conducted the toss at 9 PM, against the original schedule of 6:30 PM, following rain delays. The match is scheduled to start at 9:15 PM, with the powerplay restricted to 2.4 overs.
Bhuvneshwar last played a T20 international for India in November 2022. His performances for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Indian Premier League have helped him return to the playing XI after a prolonged absence.
Hope said the pitch looked good despite the threat of rain. He explained that bowling first would allow his side to chase successfully. He also stressed the need to finish the series strongly.
India captain Shreyas Iyer described the wicket as promising and urged his players to remain aggressive without taking excessive pressure.
He acknowledged West Indies’ attacking batting and said India would focus on their own strengths. Iyer confirmed the two changes, with Dube and Bhuvneshwar returning.
India won the opening T20I by eight wickets after taking the ODI series 2-1. West Indies levelled the T20I series with a six-wicket victory before India secured a 14-run win in the third match.
The visitors responded with a 24-run victory in the fourth game.
India: Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper), Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer (captain), Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Naman Dhir, Axar Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Prince Yadav, Arshdeep Singh.
West Indies: Shai Hope (wicketkeeper/captain), Jewel Andrew, Shimron Hetmyer, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd, Roston Chase, Keemo Paul, Shamar Springer, Gudakesh Motie, Shamar Joseph.
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