Photo via Rediff

Will India Gamble on Kuldeep With the Series on the Line?

India’s T20I series against West Indies remains tied at 2-2 heading into the decider in Bengaluru, but their batting woes have become impossible to ignore. The opening pair of Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma, despite occasional flashes of brilliance—including a 60-run stand in Hyderabad—have struggled to build consistency, with their combined scores across the series reading 29, 42, 7, and 60.

Behind them, the middle order has failed to capitalize, with Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer, and Naman Dhir all falling short of expectations in recent matches. Iyer, who started strongly with a century in the first game, has since managed just 40, 1, and 16 in his next three innings, raising questions about his ability to lead under pressure after a mixed run as captain in recent tours.

With the flat, high-scoring pitch at M Chinnaswamy Stadium favoring aggressive batting, India may turn to left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav to stabilize their bowling attack. The West Indies’ top order, led by Shai Hope and Sherfane Rutherford, has dominated the series’ batting charts, making early breakthroughs critical for India’s chances.

The outcome will likely hinge on which team handles the pressure best, as India’s batting unit grapples with deeper structural flaws exposed by the series’ back-and-forth results.

Up nextCricket· 20h ago

Ravichandran Ashwin slams Gautam Gambhir’s think tank over Kuldeep Yadav’s snub