Few rivalries in the sport have lasted as long or changed as much as the India national cricket team vs West Indies cricket team timeline. It started with a five-Test series in 1948 and, more than seven decades later, it is still producing headlines. Just this week, the two sides played one of the wildest ODI series in recent memory, and tonight the action moves to Lucknow for the first of five T20Is.
This piece walks through the complete story of india vs west indies cricket: how the rivalry began, how the balance of power moved from the Caribbean to India, and what happened in the latest series, from Shubman Gill’s double century in Guwahati to Shai Hope’s record chase in New Chandigarh. If you are following today’s ind vs wi match, you will also find the venue, timings, squads, head-to-head numbers and a prediction below.
Today’s Match: IND vs WI 1st T20I at a Glance
The T20I leg of this tour begins today, Tuesday, October 6, 2026. India captain Shreyas Iyer leads the home side, while Shai Hope captains West Indies.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Match | India vs West Indies, 1st T20I |
| Date | Tuesday, October 6, 2026 |
| Start time | 7:00 PM IST (1:30 PM GMT) |
| Venue | Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow |
| Series | West Indies tour of India, five T20Is |
| TV | Star Sports Network |
| Streaming | JioHotstar |
India come into the game in confident mood. Only three days ago the Indian side won the Asian Games gold in Japan, and the home camp has plenty of momentum to carry into this west indies vs india contest. West Indies, meanwhile, arrive on the back of a famous ODI win in New Chandigarh and will want to show that result was no one-off.
The First Chapter: 1948 and the Opening Series
The india national cricket team vs west indies cricket team timeline truly begins with the West Indies tour of India in 1948-49. Indian cricket was still finding its feet at the international level, and this west indies vs india series made it obvious how far ahead the Caribbean side already was in experience and match temperament.
The first Test, played at Delhi’s Feroz Shah Kotla (now Arun Jaitley Stadium) in November 1948, ended in a draw. Bombay and Calcutta produced two more draws before West Indies finally broke through in Madras, winning by an innings and 193 runs. The last Test in Bombay was drawn as well, which gave West Indies a 1-0 series win.
| Test | Venue | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Test | Delhi | Draw |
| 2nd Test | Bombay | Draw |
| 3rd Test | Calcutta | Draw |
| 4th Test | Madras | West Indies won by an innings and 193 runs |
| 5th Test | Bombay | Draw |
Nothing separated the teams for most of that series, but it set the template for what followed: a well-drilled Caribbean unit testing a young Indian side that was still learning how to close out matches.
India Travels to the Caribbean: 1952-53 and the 1950s
India’s first tour of the West Indies came in 1952-53, and it was a real education. Indian batsmen met genuine pace and bounce, conditions that looked nothing like the slow home pitches they had grown up on. Port of Spain produced a draw, but West Indies won in Bridgetown by 142 runs and took the series 1-0.
The next decade tilted heavily towards the Caribbean team. The 1958-59 series in India showed how big the gap had grown: West Indies won three of the five Tests, including a crushing innings-and-336-run win in Kolkata. This was also the period when Garry Sobers grew into one of the finest all-rounders the game has seen, and when West Indies built a reputation for batting depth and bowling variety that few sides could match. India was still assembling the pieces, with technically sound batsmen, a maturing bowling attack and, slowly, the belief to challenge the very best.
1971: The Series That Changed Everything
Nothing reshaped the ind vs wi story quite like 1971. Led by Ajit Wadekar, India travelled to the Caribbean and won the five-Test series 1-0, its first series victory on West Indian soil. A young Sunil Gavaskar was the difference-maker, piling up runs against an experienced attack and announcing himself as one of the great opening batsmen.
This wi vs ind result did more than hand India a scoreline. It gave Indian cricket the confidence that it could beat the best sides away from home, and it served as an early warning to West Indies that their grip on the contest would not last forever. Many historians still point to 1971 as the moment Indian Test cricket began to grow into a genuinely competitive force.
The Age of Fearsome Fast Bowling
What followed was arguably the most intimidating stretch of cricket the Caribbean ever produced. Andy Roberts, Michael Holding, Joel Garner, Colin Croft and Malcolm Marshall, and later Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh, built pace attacks that unsettled line-ups across the world.
For India, every west indies vs india contest in this era meant facing bowling of a different class. Yet it also produced some of India’s finest batting, with Gavaskar again at the centre of the story, famous for handling extreme pace with remarkable calm.
The rivalry also gained a new format in 1979. The first official ODI between the two sides was played at Edgbaston during that year’s World Cup, and West Indies won by nine wickets. From then on, this was no longer a Test-only affair.
1983: The World Cup Final That Changed Indian Cricket
Any serious account of india vs west indies cricket has to pause at Lord’s in 1983. West Indies arrived as defending champions and heavy favourites. India, batting first, were bowled out for just 183, a total that looked far too small against a line-up that strong.
What happened next became cricketing folklore. Kapil Dev’s bowlers stayed disciplined, struck at crucial moments and dismissed West Indies for 140, sealing a stunning 43-run win.
Why That Day Still Matters
- It gave India its first World Cup title
- It changed how cricket was followed and funded across the country
- It proved that even a heavily favoured west indies side could be beaten on the biggest stage
- Kapil Dev lifting the trophy remains one of the most replayed images in Indian sport
Test cricket told a very different story that same year. In the 1983 series in India, West Indies won the decider at Eden Gardens, with Clive Lloyd scoring 161 and Malcolm Marshall and Michael Holding doing the damage with the ball. A single result rarely captures the full picture of this rivalry.
The Tendulkar and Lara Years
The 1990s handed the contest two batsmen who defined a generation: Sachin Tendulkar for India and Brian Lara for West Indies. Whenever ind vs wi was played in that decade, comparisons between the pair were never far behind. Tendulkar’s game was built on consistency and technique that travelled well. Lara’s was built on flair, with an ability to produce match-turning innings out of nowhere.
The 1997 Barbados Collapse
One Test from this period is still talked about: Bridgetown, 1997. Chasing only 120, India had Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman in the line-up and looked comfortable. Instead, Ian Bishop, Curtly Ambrose and Franklyn Rose ran through the batting order, and Laxman was the only batsman to reach double figures. West Indies won a game that India should have taken.
2002: The Last Test Series West Indies Won
West Indies’ most recent Test series win over India came in 2002, when they beat India 2-1. Shivnarine Chanderpaul was central to that victory, especially in the decisive Kingston Test where his batting was almost impossible to break down.
That result carries extra weight in hindsight. It remains the last time West Indies have won a full Test series against India, and the gap has only grown since.
India Becomes the Stronger Test Side
The 2000s brought a different Indian team. Under Sourav Ganguly and later Rahul Dravid, India built a side with real depth: Dravid, Laxman, Virender Sehwag, Anil Kumble and, before long, MS Dhoni.
The clearest marker came in 2006, when India led by Dravid won a Test series in the Caribbean for the first time since 1971. Anil Kumble’s second-innings six-wicket haul at Sabina Park helped India defend a target and end a 35-year wait. India followed up with a 1-0 win in the Caribbean in 2011, and then hosted West Indies in 2013 for a series that will always be remembered as Tendulkar’s farewell, with India winning both Tests in Kolkata and Mumbai.
T20 Cricket Joins the Conversation
The wi vs ind timeline took on a fresh dimension in 2009, when the two sides played their first T20I at Lord’s on June 12. West Indies won by seven wickets, and a new chapter began.
T20 asked for a completely different skill set: clean hitting, smart bowling changes and split-second decisions. West Indies adapted quickly and won the T20 World Cup in both 2012 and 2016. India built its own strength through the IPL, which gave the country a far deeper pool of white-ball talent.
2016: Two Results, Two Different Stories
Few years capture the contrast better than 2016.
The Mumbai semifinal shock. In the T20 World Cup semifinal at Wankhede, West Indies produced a stunning chase in front of a packed home crowd, with Lendl Simmons, Johnson Charles and Andre Russell all playing key roles. In the shortest format, this contest could swing on a handful of overs, whatever the occasion.
Kohli’s 200 in Antigua. Later that year, India toured the Caribbean under Virat Kohli. In the first Test at Antigua, Kohli scored 200 and became the first Indian captain to make a double century overseas. India won by an innings and 92 runs and closed out the four-Test series 2-0, with Ravichandran Ashwin starring with bat and ball.
2018 to 2023: India Tightens Its Grip
India kept winning at home and away. The 2018-19 tour of India saw a 2-0 Test series win, a 3-1 ODI series win (with a tied second ODI in Visakhapatnam) and a 3-0 sweep in the T20Is. Virat Kohli was the player of the ODI series with 453 runs.
At the 2019 World Cup, unbeaten India met West Indies at Old Trafford. Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah led a tight bowling effort and India cruised to a 125-run win. India then won both Tests in the Caribbean in 2019.
The 2023 tour of the Caribbean gave West Indies some relief in the shorter formats. India won the Tests 1-0, with the Dominica Test finishing in just three days as Ashwin took a dozen wickets and debutant Yashasvi Jaiswal scored a century. India also took the ODI series 2-1, with West Indies winning the second game by six wickets before India won the decider by 200 runs. West Indies then took the T20I series 3-2.
2025: India Sweeps the Tests Under Shubman Gill
The most recent Test chapter came in October 2025, with Shubman Gill leading India in a home series against a West Indies side led by Roston Chase.
- 1st Test, Ahmedabad (Oct 2-4, 2025): India 448/5 declared, West Indies 162 and 146. India won by an innings and 140 runs. Ravindra Jadeja was Player of the Match with an unbeaten 104 and four wickets.
- 2nd Test, Delhi (Oct 10-14, 2025): India 518/5 declared and 124/3 chasing 121. West Indies 248 and 390 following on. India won by seven wickets.
That 2-0 result extended India’s run of bilateral Test series wins over West Indies to eight in a row since 2002.
March 2026: Samson’s 97 Knocks West Indies Out of the T20 World Cup
The most dramatic recent India vs West Indies T20I came at the 2026 T20 World Cup. In a Super Eight decider at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on March 1, West Indies batted first and posted 195/4, with Roston Chase making 40 and Jason Holder and Rovman Powell finishing strongly.
India, chasing 196, lost early wickets but Sanju Samson played the innings of his life. His unbeaten 97 off 50 balls, with 12 fours and four sixes, took India home by five wickets with four balls to spare (199/5 in 19.2 overs). It was India’s highest successful chase of that tournament, it ended West Indies’ campaign, and it sent India into the semifinals on their way to a record third T20 World Cup title.
September-October 2026: The ODI Series That Had Everything
Before tonight’s T20I, India and West Indies played a three-match ODI series that produced run-fests, records and a classic finish. India won it 2-1.
1st ODI, Thiruvananthapuram (September 27): India won by 8 wickets
West Indies posted 295/7, with Justin Greaves hitting 101, John Campbell 62 and Amir Jangoo 58. Kuldeep Yadav took 4/40. India chased it down in 41.4 overs, finishing on 300/2. Virat Kohli made an unbeaten 139 off 88 balls and crossed 15,000 ODI runs along the way, while captain Shubman Gill added 110 off 108 balls.
2nd ODI, Guwahati (September 30): India won by 8 wickets
This was a game for the record books. West Indies scored 405/7, with centuries from Jangoo (114), Shai Hope (104) and Campbell (101). India still chased it in 43.3 overs, finishing on 406/2. Gill hit an unbeaten 223 off 133 balls, the fastest double century in ODI history and the highest score in an ODI chase. Rohit Sharma made 101, and Kohli chipped in 29 off 19. It was only the second successful chase of 400 or more in ODI cricket, and it sealed the series.
3rd ODI, New Chandigarh (October 3): West Indies won by 5 wickets
India batted first and made 351/7, with KL Rahul hitting an unbeaten 129. It looked enough, but Hope had other plans. After keeping wicket for all 50 overs in the heat, he came out to open and batted through to the end, finishing on 162 not out off 143 balls despite a niggle, as West Indies reached 352/5 with 10 balls to spare. It was the highest successful ODI chase in West Indies’ history and their first ODI win over India since 2023. Hope was Player of the Match, while Gill was named Player of the Series with 334 runs.
| ODI | Venue | Date | Scores | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Thiruvananthapuram | Sep 27, 2026 | WI 295/7, IND 300/2 | India won by 8 wickets |
| 2nd | Guwahati | Sep 30, 2026 | WI 405/7, IND 406/2 | India won by 8 wickets |
| 3rd | New Chandigarh | Oct 3, 2026 | IND 351/7, WI 352/5 | West Indies won by 5 wickets |
Head-to-Head: The Numbers So Far
The scoreline of wi vs ind looks very different depending on the format and the era. Much of West Indies’ historical advantage dates back to the 1950s through 1980s.
| Format | Matches | India Wins | West Indies Wins | Draws / Ties / No Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tests | 102 | 25 | 30 | 47 draws |
| ODIs | 145 | 74 | 65 | 2 ties, 4 no results |
| T20Is (before today) | 31 | 20 | 10 | 1 no result |
The takeaway is simple. West Indies still lead the all-time Test count, but India has won every bilateral Test series since 2002. India leads comfortably in ODIs and T20Is, although the New Chandigarh result is a reminder that West Indies can still land a punch.
IND vs WI T20I Series 2026: Full Schedule
| Match | Date | Venue | Start |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st T20I | Tue, Oct 6 | Ekana Stadium, Lucknow | 7:00 PM IST |
| 2nd T20I | Fri, Oct 9 | JSCA International Stadium, Ranchi | 7:00 PM IST |
| 3rd T20I | Sun, Oct 11 | Holkar Stadium, Indore | 7:00 PM IST |
| 4th T20I | Wed, Oct 14 | Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad | 7:00 PM IST |
| 5th T20I | Sat, Oct 17 | M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru | 7:00 PM IST |
The series moves through five cities in 12 days, so there is very little time to recover between games.
Squads for the T20I Series
India T20I squad: Shreyas Iyer (captain), Tilak Varma (vice-captain), Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Arshdeep Singh, Prince Yadav, Mayank Yadav, Ravi Bishnoi, Kuldeep Yadav.
West Indies T20I squad: Shai Hope (captain), Jewel Andrew, Roston Chase, Matthew Forde, Shimron Hetmyer, Akeal Hosein, Shamar Joseph, Gudakesh Motie, Keemo Paul, Kamil Pooran, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Quentin Sampson, Romario Shepherd, Shamar Springer.
West Indies have handed an uncapped call-up to opener Kamil Pooran after a strong Caribbean Premier League campaign, where he scored 273 runs at a strike rate of nearly 160. Jason Holder has been rested for the T20Is, and Mohammed Siraj has been rested on the India side. Mohammed Shami was not picked.
Today’s Match: Key Talking Points
The Sooryavanshi question. The biggest storyline around India’s team is whether teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi will get a game. India have a stacked top order, and there are no guarantees he will play in the opener.
Samson and Abhishek at the top. Former India batter Aakash Chopra has said Sanju Samson should open with Abhishek Sharma, which fits India’s likely line-up. Samson’s 97 not out in the World Cup against this very opposition is fresh in everyone’s mind.
Hope’s fitness. Shai Hope carried a niggle through his 162 not out on Saturday, and West Indies will be hoping their captain is fit to lead. His form alone makes him their most important player.
India’s Ekana record. India have not lost a T20I at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow, which adds to their favouritism tonight.
India’s probable XI: Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan (wk), Shreyas Iyer (c), Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mayank Yadav or Prince Yadav, Arshdeep Singh.
Players to Watch in IND vs WI Today
India
- Abhishek Sharma: a fearless opener who can win a game in the powerplay
- Sanju Samson: a World Cup hero against West Indies, with 97 not out at Eden Gardens
- Kuldeep Yadav: took 4/40 in the first ODI and is India’s key wicket-taker in the middle overs
- Arshdeep Singh: the lead seamer, important with the new ball and at the death
- Shreyas Iyer: the captain, leading a new-look T20I side
West Indies
- Shai Hope: the captain, in the form of his career after 104 in Guwahati and 162 not out in New Chandigarh
- Rovman Powell: West Indies’ leading six-hitter in T20Is, with 150 sixes
- Shimron Hetmyer: a finisher who joins the squad specifically for the T20Is
- Gudakesh Motie: a spinner who took 10 wickets at the 2026 T20 World Cup
- Kamil Pooran: an uncapped opener to watch if he gets his debut
Prediction: Who Wins the 1st T20I?
India are the favourites. They have the better record in the format (20 wins from 31 meetings), they are unbeaten at Ekana in T20Is, and they have beaten this opposition in the World Cup just seven months ago. The batting is deep, and the spin options of Kuldeep, Axar and Washington suit the middle overs.
West Indies, though, are not a side to write off. They are loaded with power-hitters, they showed in New Chandigarh that they can chase anything, and a good start from Hope and Pooran could put India under pressure. If West Indies can take early wickets and make this a game of hitting rather than control, an upset is possible. Still, the sensible prediction is an India win in the opening game, and a series win for the hosts. This is a prediction, not a guarantee, and T20 cricket has a habit of making fools of forecasters.
Why Conditions Have Always Played a Role
Conditions have shaped india vs west indies cricket from the start. Indian pitches traditionally favoured spin and slower surfaces, while Caribbean grounds were built for pace and bounce. That distinction has faded in recent years: Indian tracks now often help fast bowlers, and some Caribbean surfaces have slowed down.
This is also why comparing a Test from the 1950s to one in the 2020s needs care. Equipment, fitness levels, coaching and pitch preparation have all changed enormously, and those shifts matter as much as the scorecards themselves.
The Role of Domestic Cricket and the IPL
A big reason India’s side of this rivalry looks so different today is structure. A packed domestic season feeding into the IPL has given Indian cricket a talent pipeline that did not exist a few decades ago. Young batsmen and bowlers arrive in the national set-up having already played under pressure in front of big crowds.
West Indies, with a smaller player base spread across several nations, have taken a different route. They lean on natural athleticism, franchise T20 experience from around the world, and a handful of genuinely destructive match-winners. Neither approach is right or wrong, but the difference shows whenever the two teams meet.
Memorable Moments Worth Remembering
- 1971, Port of Spain: Gavaskar’s breakout tour that gave India belief in the Caribbean
- 1983, Lord’s: India’s 43-run World Cup final win over the mighty West Indies
- 1997, Bridgetown: a batting collapse that showed how fast momentum can flip
- 2006, Sabina Park: Kumble’s six-wicket spell that ended a 35-year drought
- 2016, Wankhede: a semifinal chase that silenced a full house
- 2016, Antigua: Kohli’s double century that confirmed India’s new Test identity
- March 2026, Eden Gardens: Samson’s unbeaten 97 that knocked West Indies out of the T20 World Cup
- September 30, 2026, Guwahati: Gill’s unbeaten 223 in the highest ODI chase ever
- October 3, 2026, New Chandigarh: Hope’s 162 not out in West Indies’ record ODI chase
Closing Thoughts
The india national cricket team vs west indies cricket team timeline runs from a draw in Delhi in 1948 to a fully professional, three-format rivalry that produced a 405-run ODI and a 352-run chase in the same week. West Indies ruled the early decades and fielded one of the greatest sides the sport has ever seen. India’s win in 1971 and its World Cup triumph in 1983 changed that relationship for good, and since 2002 India has grown into the dominant Test side, with the white-ball record firmly in its favour too.
Tonight’s first T20I in Lucknow is the next entry. India will be favourites, West Indies will be dangerous, and the ind vs wi story, as ever, is still being written.
FAQs
The rivalry began in November 1948, when West Indies toured India and won a five-Test series 1-0.
The 1st T20I is on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, at 7:00 PM IST at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow.
In India, the match is on the Star Sports Network, with live streaming on JioHotstar.
India won the three-match series 2-1. They won in Thiruvananthapuram and Guwahati, and West Indies won the third ODI in New Chandigarh.
Shubman Gill’s unbeaten 223 off 133 balls in the second ODI in Guwahati, which helped India chase down 406 against West Indies’ 405/7.
India lead 20-10 from 31 T20Is, with one no result, before the series that begins today.
The 1983 World Cup final at Lord’s, which India won by 43 runs.
In 1971, under Ajit Wadekar, by a 1-0 margin.
In 2002, when they won 2-1.
Virat Kohli scored 200 in Antigua in 2016, becoming the first Indian captain to score a double century overseas.
Shreyas Iyer captains India, and Shai Hope captains West Indies.
The fifth and final T20I is on Saturday, October 17, 2026, at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
