Team India scripts history, Pandya and Co. equal Pakistan’s staggering feat in T20I series opener against West Indies
After warming up for the ICC World Cup 2023 in the three One Day International (ODIs), former world champions Team India squared off against the West Indies in the first T20I of the five-match series on Thursday. Resting senior batter Virat Kohli and regular captain Rohit Sharma, Team India had earlier named a second-string squad for the five-match T20I series against the Men from the Caribbean.
Team India has equalled Pakistan’s staggering feat in T20I cricket(AFP-Getty Images)
Less than 48 hours after guiding India to an ODI series win, stand-in skipper Hardik Pandya walked out at the Brain Lara Stadium for the traditional coin toss in the 1st T20I. Under the leadership of all-rounder Pandya, overwhelming favourites India scripted history in the series opener by joining Pakistan in an exclusive T20I list. For the record, Team India has become the second side to play 200 matches in the shortest format.
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India equal Pakistan’s massive T20I feat
Former world champions Pakistan have played 223 matches in the shortest format. India (200) are followed by New Zealand, who have played 193 T20Is. Hosts West Indies have played 180 games while Sri Lanka and Australia have played 179 and 174 matches in the shortest format respectively. Champions in the inaugural edition of the World Cup, India played its first T20I match in 2006 against South Africa at The Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg. Led by Virender Sehwag, India had outclassed the Proteas by 6 wickets in its first-ever T20I outing.
Tilak Varma and Mukesh Kumar make T20I debuts
Talking about India’s record-equalling 200th appearance in T20Is, the Asian giants handed debut caps to twenty-year-old batter Tilak Varma and pacer Mukesh Kumar. Seamer Mukesh had debuted for India in the 1st Test of the West Indies series. The pacer then played his first ODI for India against the same side in the previous series. India also picked spinners Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal in its playing XI for the 1st T20I.
“That was the whole plan for this tour as well. We might be coming here to play the World Cup. Some players might get a chance to play here. By the time we come here next time, we’ll be prepared. I try to keep things simple. For me it’s about improving. I focus on processes. You might have some losses and failures, I am okay with it. It’s all about challenging ourselves. Umran, Bishnoi miss out. We are playing three spinners,” Pandya said after the West Indies won the toss and opted to bat.
