Hardik Pandya, who replaced Rohit Sharma as the Indian captain in the fifth T20I vs West Indies, stuttered while naming all the changes to his playing 11. The Men in Blue made four changes. Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant and Bhuvneshwar Kumar were rested. 

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India have already won the five-match series 3-1. In the fifth game at the Central Broward Regional Park Stadium Turf Ground, Lauderhill, Florida, Pandya was named as the stand-in captain. The all-rounder won the toss and elected to bat. 

India, riding on Shreyas Iyer’s half-century, were 112/1 after 11 overs. 

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Pandya recently captained India on the two-match Ireland tour. He has a 100% success rate. On Sunday, when asked to reveal the composition of the team, he stumbled. 

 “Now, I have got a challenge for you. Can you name all the changes in your team, the India skipper stuttered a little before getting the names right,” Samuel Badree asked Pandya after the toss. 

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“Well. Ro {Rohit} goes out. He is resting. Well, they all are. Then Rishabh is out. Then… umm. Wait, I know it. I can do this. Yes. Bhuvi {Bhuvneshwar Kumar} and Surya {Suryakumar Yadav] are not playing,” the captain said.

Pandya further added that the Indian team has received a fantastic reception in Miami. 

“We don’t feel we are playing in Miami but in some Indian city like Mumbai or Gujarat or something. Fantastic to come abroad and get this support. We spoke to the boys that no matter what happens, we have set some standards for the Indian cricket team so the intensity and the attitude stays the same,” he added when asked about the team goal.

Teams:

West Indies (Playing XI): Shamarh Brooks, Shimron Hetmyer, Nicholas Pooran(c), Devon Thomas(w), Jason Holder, Odean Smith, Keemo Paul, Dominic Drakes, Obed McCoy, Hayden Walsh, Rovman Powell

India (Playing XI): Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer, Sanju Samson, Hardik Pandya(c), Deepak Hooda, Dinesh Karthik(w), Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Avesh Khan, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh