Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant were let out of the team bio-bubble ahead of the third and final T20I of the series. The two will miss the game. However, their absence gives Rohit Sharma a chance to experiment with the squad, especially when the series has been sealed. 

India defeated the West Indies by eight runs in a nail-biter second T20I. Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant scored half-centuries, Venkatesh Iyer scoring a brisk 33, to lead the win. However, the highlights of the match was Harshal Patel’s nervy last over when West Indies big hitter Rovman Powell threatened to take the game away. 

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Patel got a chance only after India’s regular pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami were rested. Now that there is no Pant and Kohli, Rohit Sharma might call in Shreyas Iyer and/or Ruturaj Gaikwad. 

In the absence of KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan has failed to impress at the top of the order and his place could be given to the talented Gaikwad, who has been warming the bench until now.

Shreyas, who was the third biggest buy at the IPL auction but could not fit into India’s T20 combination for the first two matches against the West Indies, will be the obvious choice.

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Hooda, Avesh, Siraj waiting in the pipeline. Deepak Hooda also impressed after making his debut in the preceding ODI series and it remains to be seen if the big-hitting all-rounder is tried out in the T20Is.

On the other hand, West Indies players will have to convert their individual brilliance to a group result. On Friday, the duo of Rovman Powell and Nicholas Pooran threatened to chase down India’s 187 with explosive half-centuries but the team fell short by eight runs. 

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Teams (from): India: Rohit Sharma (captain), Ishan Kishan, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Surya Kumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Venkatesh Iyer, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Ravi Bishnoi, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mohammed Siraj, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Avesh Khan, Harshal Patel, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Deepak Hooda, Kuldeep Yadav and Harpreet Brar.

West Indies: Kieron Pollard (captain), Nicholas Pooran (vice-captain), Fabian Allen, Darren Bravo, Roston Chase, Sheldon Cottrell, Dominic Drakes, Jason Holder, Shai Hope, Akeal Hosein, Brandon King, Rovman Powell, Romario Shepherd, Odean Smith, Kyle Mayers, Hayden Walsh Jr.

Match starts: 7 PM IST.