India vs West Indies 1st T20I Preview: Rohit Sharma-Led Team India Hopes To Rebuild Side Ahead Of T20 World Cup

Flush with exciting talent and focussed on the T20 World Cup in exactly eight months' time, the Rohit Sharma-led Team India would be aiming to get its combinations right when it takes on the West Indies in a three-match series beginning in Kolkata on Wednesday. India were the pre-tournament favourites but made a shocking group stage exit in the last T20 World Cup held in the UAE in October-November. The shambolic campaign exposed loopholes in the team combination and temperament, spoiling Virat Kohli's swansong as T20 skipper.

India will look to make amends and rebuild the side with a packed T20 calendar lined up ahead of the marquee event in Australia beginning October 16.

Rohit, under whom Mumbai Indians have won five IPL titles, would be looking to sort out issues such as the opening blues, the middle-lower order conundrum and also the bowling strategies.

And he will have a happy headache of plenty while trying to firm up the squad.

Just the other day at the IPL mega auction, wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan hit the jackpot by landing a Rs 15.25 crore deal with Rohit's franchise Mumbai Indians.

In fact, 10 players from the current squad landed massive deals and all eyes would also be on the likes of Shreyas Iyer (Kolkata Knight Riders Rs 12.25 crore), Harshal Patel (Royal Challengers Bangalore, Rs 10.75 crore) and Shardul Thakur (Delhi Capitals, Rs 10.75 crore).

Opening puzzle

First up would be the opening combination and who would be ideal to partner the skipper in the shortest format with his regular KL Rahul out with a left hamstring strain.

Ishan opened in the first match of their preceding three-match ODI series against the Caribbean team in Ahmedabad but the skipper also tried out Rishabh Pant and Shikhar