India face West Indies in winner-take-all contest:With semifinals at stake, will IND end WI’s unbeaten T20 WC run at Eden Gardens?

The stakes are high as India and the West Indies face each other in a T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8 clash on 1 March. The equation is simple. The winner will make it to the semifinals, while the losing team will pack their bags and go home. The iconic Eden Gardens is set to witness what promises to be an absolute mouth-watering clash between two explosive T20I teams. India, the defending champions, were unscathed up until they reached the Super 8, where South Africa provided the Men in Blue with a much-needed reality check. And interestingly enough, South Africa also crushed the West Indies in the Super 8, handing them their first defeat in the tournament just days ago. Both teams have shown promise and it is time to deliver one last time in the Super 8 with a spot in the semis up for grabs IND vs WI T20 World Cup Super 8 match details Match: India vs West Indies Super 8
Date: Sunday, 1 March
Time: 7:00 PM IST (Toss at 6:30 PM)
Venue: Eden Gardens, Kolkata
Where to follow: Star Sports (live telecast), JioHotstar (live streaming) and Bhaskar English App India vs West Indies head-to-head in T20Is India and the West Indies have so far played 30 T20Is against each other. And the Men in Blue have the upper hand with 19 victories over the Windies. The West Indies have had 10 wins, with the other remaining game ending without a result. However, the story is completely different in the T20 World Cups. West Indies and India have faced each other four times in T20 World Cups and the Windies have an impressive 3-1 record. But what India can take confidence from is the fact that they have won all four T20Is against the West Indies at the Eden Gardens. Ishan Kishan Varun Chakaravarthy-best for the Men in Blue so far Ishan Kishan has been India’s best batter in the T20 World Cup so far. The left-hander has hit 214 runs in six matches at an impressive strike-rate of 186.08. In the bowling department, it has been Varun Chakaravarthy who has been the standout performer for India. The mystery spinner has picked up 11 wickets in six matches so far (best figures being 3/7) while maintaining an impressive economy rate of 7.20. Shimron Hetmyer- West Indies’ star performer That the West Indies have made it to the Super 8 and are one win away from a spot in the semis is largely because of Shimron Hetmyer. The left-hander has smashed 221 runs in six matches while striking at 182.64 with a best score of 85. Gudakesh Motie, on the other hand, has been the West Indies’ best bowler with 10 wickets in five matches in this edition so far. The leg-spinner has had an economy rate of 7.75 with his best figures being 4/28. Kolkata weather report There are no chances of rain in Kolkata on 1 March. The forecast is for sunny weather with clear skies. The weather will be pretty dry as well. The temperature is set to hover between 24 and 29 °C. Also read: ‘Ready to fight fire with fire’, says Ryan Ten Doeschate: India vs West Indies will be high scoring contest, ‘It’s a 180-plus pitch’ Eden Gardens pitch report The Eden Gardens wicket has been a high-scoring one for some years now and that is unlikely to change on 1 March. According to a PTI report, the wicket that would be used was the one that was on show in the Scotland vs Italy match, a game which saw the Scots post 207/4 after batting first. The report adds that Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) president and former India captain Sourav Ganguly inspected the pitch along with curator Sujan Mukherjee. “Ganguly appeared happy seeing the preparation of the pitch, which was last used for the second World Cup match. It’s a typical Eden wicket full of runs and there would be something in it for the bowlers too,” Mukherjee said. Interestingly, Mukherjee also shared that there would be dew on offer and hence, the team that wins the toss might opt to chase. The track is also likely to assist both the pacers and spinners and hence, a good battle between bat and ball can be expected on Sunday. For the West Indies, this venue is special as it was here 10 years ago, when they won the T20 World Cup title, beating England in a thrilling final. Can India overcome the West Indies and book a semifinal ticket?