T20 World Cup 2026: 'To cover up for any run shortage from the batters' - Sanjay Manjrekar suggests one change in India’s playing 11 vs West Indies

Sanjay Manjrekar has suggested a solitary change in India's playing XI for the important game against the West Indies in the Super 8 stage of the ongoing T20 World Cup. The winner of this clash, which will be held at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, on Sunday, March 1, will progress to the semi-final. However, the losing team's campaign will end.

Manjrekar opined that the addition of Kuldeep Yadav could help the Men in Blue in countering the power-packed West Indies batting line-up.

“To cover up for any run shortage from the batters, really think India should play Kuldeep tonight.. Never easy to go after a bowler who turns the ball, especially for this lot of WI batters," Manjrekar wrote on his official 'X' (formerly Twitter) handle.

Sanjay Manjrekar@sanjaymanjrekar

To cover up for any run shortage from the batters, really think India should play Kuldeep tonight.. Never easy to go after a bowler who turns the ball, especially for this lot of WI batters.

08:30 AM · Mar 01, 2026

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Kuldeep has played just one game so far in the ongoing T20 World Cup. The left-arm wrist spinner bowled three overs, giving away 14 runs and picking up the wicket of Mohammad Nawaz.

What is Kuldeep Yadav's record against the West Indies?

Kuldeep has quite an impressive record against the West Indies in T20I cricket. In nine T20Is against the Caribbean side, the Uttar Pradesh spinner has accounted for 17 wickets at an average of 13.41. He also has a remarkable economy rate of just 6.33.

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So far, Varun Chakaravarthy and Jasprit Bumrah have been the standout bowlers for India in the tournament. The mystery spinner has 11 wickets from six matches at an average of 13.09. On the other hand, Bumrah has seven wickets from five games, and his economy rate is a mind-boggling 5.62. Interestingly, the veteran pacer was the Player of the Tournament at the previous T20 World Cup, which India won in 2024.