India vs West Indies Prediction: Windies can repeat 2016 triumph

| Saturday 28th February 2026, 13:15

Saturday 28th February 2026, 13:15

Jamie Pacheco previews India v West Indies on Sunday, March 1, with a start time of 13:30, as India look to beat the Windies at Eden Gardens and book their place in the semi-finals. A win for the Windies and it’s them in that semi, instead.

Jamie thinks Shai Hope and co are too high a price for the upset, while a wily old hand is carrying his money on the West Indies top bowler market.

India vs West Indies Betting Tips

1pt Back the West Indies to win @ 11/4
0.5pts Back Jason Holder to be West Indies Top Bowler @ 14/5

*odds correct at time of publication

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India

India did what India needed to do against Zimbabwe: win.

With South Africa winning against the Windies just before their match got underway, net run rate became less of an issue for them.

It may still play its part in determining who tops the group, unlikely but possible, but when all is said and done, this is a shoot-out between them and the Windies for a place in the final. Especially because the forecast is good for this match, so there’s no possibility of a washed-out match and the Windies going through at their expense on net run rate.

Abishek Sharma finally got going this tournament with 55 off 30 and was joined in scoring a half-century by Hardik Pandya. Ishan Kishan, Sky Yadav and Tilak Varma all got to at least 30. In the end they finished on 256/4.

Pandya was Player of the Match thanks to a strike rate of 217 in getting to that fifty; Sanju Samson came in for Rinku Singh and opened and kept wicket in something of a surprise move that saw Kishan drop down to three. Axar Patel played, too, with Washington Sundar missing out.

Hard to say if they will stick with the same XI this time round, but: probably.

India Likely XI

Abishek, Sharma, Samson, Kishan, Sky Yadav, Varma, Pandya, Dube, Axar/Washington, Chakravarthy, Bumrah, Arshdeep

West Indies

You just never know with this lot.

Impressive against England in the Group Stage, ruthless against Zimbabwe in their first Super 8 game and then pretty poor against South Africa in a chastening defeat.

They have some fearless lower-order hitting from Romario Shepherd (52) and Jason Holder (49) to thank for even making a game out of it at the halfway stage because their middle-order folded like a pack of cards.

They only took one wicket as SA raced to their total of 177, but then again, the Proteas have been the best team in the tournament so far.

It was unexpected that they left Akeal Hossein out for that one, but he may return, either for Roston Chase or Matthew Forde.

West Indies Likely XI

King, Hope, Hetmyer, Powell, Rutheford, Chase/Hossein, Holder, Forde, Shepherd, Motie, Joseph

Pitch and conditions

We’re at Eden Gardens in Kolkata this time.

Scotland managed 207 here against Italy (defended), England chased 153 here against Scotland, England got to 207 against Italy (defended) and the Windies managed ‘just’ 165 against Italy, winning by 42 runs.

So, a slight bias towards the side batting first, but then again, all the favourites won in those four matches, so that might be less relevant.

What is more relevant is that the 17 T20I matches here have produced a runs-per-over rate of 7.94. In other words: 170 or so first up could be competitive.

India vs West Indies Odds

1pt Back the West Indies to win @ 11/4

As far as ridiculous prices go, this is one of the more ridiculous ones.

Let’s remember that both sides have put in one really poor performance so far this tournament: both against South Africa, winning all of their other matches.

Let’s also remember that at the 2016 World Cup the big match between these two in Mumbai was won by the West Indies. And that at this very ground, the Windies beat England in the final.

And let’s remember the golden rule of T20 cricket: one outstanding innings can turn a game on its head, and in the likes of Shimron Hetmyer, Sherfane Rutherford, Shai Hope, or even Holder or Shepherd, the Windies have plenty of men capable of doing that. Or that a bowler taking 3/18 can do the same.

There isn’t a gulf in quality between the two that justifies those prices, so we go with the Windies at 11/4.

India vs West Indies - Match Winner (2-Way)

West Indies

11/4

Bet Here

Odds correct at time of publishing.

0.5pts Back Jason Holder to be West Indies Top Bowler @ 14/5

Jason Holder is one of those (players). When things go wrong for the team, he’s often one of the first to be dropped for the next series. When things carry on going wrong, he’s probably the first to be recalled. Older readers may recall that fellow all-rounders in South Africa’s Andrew Hall and, to an extent, Sri Lanka’s Angelo Matthews (in his later years) were cut from the same cloth.

He must have thought his Windies career was over in all three formats at one stage or another, yet here he is at 34, an integral part of this team with the ball and a safety net at 6, 7, or 8 with the bat, providing great balance.

His eight wickets in the tournament are bettered only by Gudakesh Motie’s 10 in the team and he should certainly bowl his full quota, hopefully with two of those being at the death.

And he definitely knows conditions here at Eden Garden better than any other bowler in the side, thanks to years spent playing here in the IPL. Go with Holder at 14/5.

India vs West Indies - Top Away Team Bowler

Jason Holder

14/5

Bet Here

Odds correct at time of publishing.

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