- By Namrata Vijay
- Sun, 01 Mar 2026 02:32 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
IND vs WI T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8s: The Men in Blue made a brilliant comeback at the right time, but some decisions have become tougher to make ahead of their virtual knockout match against the West Indies, which will be held in Kolkata. Ex-India cricketer Akaash Chopra has requested that the Indian team management not make any changes to the playing XI and has also warned them not to bring Washington Sundar or Kuldeep Yadav back into the team.
During an interaction on his YouTube channel, Chopra emphasised that they should prioritise stability and not conduct any more experiments at this point in the ongoing mega event.
“Should India make any change? They shouldn't. I am saying put the matchups in a box. The team that played at Chepauk plays the same team at Eden Gardens. Don't think at all about bringing Washington Sundar in or whether Kuldeep can be played because we can trap the opposition,” Chopra was quoted as saying on his YouTube channel.
ALSO READ: Eden Gardens Showdown: Five Reasons West Indies Could Outplay India
“Leave it now. All are knockout games now. This is a virtual quarterfinal, followed by a semi-final and a final. Why should you change now?” he added.
The Suryakumar Yadav-led side will enter the must-win match against West Indies on the back of a dominant win against Zimbabwe, where they posted their highest total of the ongoing mega event so far. The whole batting lineup finally made significant contributions with the bat after struggling throughout their campaign.
Sanju Samson's return to the playing XI as an opener showed the team's intent, Abhishek Sharma's bounce-back to form with a brilliant fifty, and Tilak Varma's gritty 44 off 16 balls at No.6 gave the team the finish it needed throughout the tournament.
Although the batters performed brilliantly, the bowlers struggled, especially the sixth bowling option and the spinners.
India's Failed Sundar Experiment vs SA
The Indian team management had earlier included Washington Sundar in their playing XI for the Super 8s match against the Aiden Markram-led side at the Narendra Modi Stadium, which was seen as a tactical move against left-hand-heavy batting.
But this decision didn't work in their favour.
He had bowled just two overs and given away 17 runs and gone wicketless, and had scored 11 runs off as many balls when he was promoted in the batting lineup. He couldn't make a significant impact as an all-rounder, and the team lost by 76 runs.
He was snubbed from India's playing XI for the match against Zimbabwe and was replaced by Axar Patel. This decision balanced the team and played a huge role in their 72-run win, keeping their semifinal hopes alive.
Chopra revealed that, since the upcoming match is a knockout, the team management should not conduct any further experiments.
IND VS WI: PREDICTED XI
Since the batters have finally found their rhythm, Chopra emphasised that continuity is the key.
India Probable XI: Sanju Samson (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Varun Chakravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh
The match at Eden Gardens is a do-or-die clash, as the winner will qualify for the semifinal and face England.