WI vs ENG 1st T20I Preview: Key Players And Stats, Live Streaming, Pitch Report, Probable XIs

West Indies to face England in the first T20I on November 9 [Source: @ICC/x]

West Indies and England will face each other in the first T20I of their five-match series, slated to commence from November 9 onwards at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados. Hosts West Indies won the preceding three-match ODI series by a 2-1 margin.

WI vs ENG 1st T20I: Match Details And Live Streaming

WI vs ENG 1st T20I Preview: West Indies

After routing South Africa 3-0 at home, West Indies lost an away series in Sri Lanka last month despite taking an early lead. The current West Indies line-up, led by Rovman Powell, features the return of charismatic all-rounder Andre Russell. Nicholas Pooran and Shai Hope have emerged as some of the most prolific West Indies batters off late owing to their consistent run. With the ball, in-form Romario Shepherd and Roston Chase will be aiming to sustain their wicket-taking spree against the visiting Englishmen.

WI vs ENG 1st T20I Preview: England

After crashing out of the 2024 T20 World Cup in the West Indies earlier this year with a defeat in the semifinals, England managed to draw its home T20I series against Australia with a one-all margin.

Having lost the recent ODI rubber to the West Indies, England’s squad for the T20I segment of the tour has been bolstered with the return of regular captain and explosive opener Jos Buttler. The likes of Phil Salt and Liam Livingstone have tallied impactful runs in the past few weeks, and will start out as some of the primary in-form batters from the visiting line-up. Sam Curran’s all-round dexterity, and Adil Rashid’s spin brilliance will likely be decisive factors in England’s success against the hosts.

WI vs ENG 1st T20I Pitch Report: How Will Kensington Oval Surface Behave?

The Kensington Oval in Barbados tends to favour batters, with something on offer for the spinners as well. The average first innings total at the venue has emerged in the range of early 150s so far. The captain winning the toss will likely opt to bat first, considering the chasing sides have lost 20 of the 31 completed fixtures here.

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WI vs ENG 1st T20I: Key Players And Stats 

• Nicholas Pooran: 281 runs in last 7 matches, Batting Average: 56.20, SR: 177.84
• Phil Salt: 247 runs in last 10 matches, Batting Average: 35.29, SR: 161.43
• Romario Shepherd: 4 wickets in last 3 matches, Bowling Average: 21.50, SR: 15.00
• Jos Buttler: 214 runs in last 8 matches, Batting Average: 42.80, SR: 158.51
• Shai Hope: 266 runs in last 8 matches, Batting Average: 44.33, SR: 156.47

WI vs ENG 1st T20I: Probable Playing XIs 

West Indies Probable XI: Brandon King, Evin Lewis, Shai Hope (wk), Roston Chase, Sherfane Rutherford, Rovman Powell (c), Andre Russell, Gudakesh Motie, Romario Shepherd, Matthew Forde and Shamar Joseph.

England Probable XI: Jos Buttler (c & wk), Philip Salt, Will Jacks, Jordan Cox, Liam Livingstone, Jacob Bethell, Sam Curran, Jamie Overton, Adil Rashid, Saqib Mahmood and Reece Topley.

WI vs ENG 1st T20I: Winner Prediction

West Indies are expected to capitalise on their ODI series triumph and sustain their newfound winning momentum by toppling England in the first T20I.

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