Beware! These West Indies stars could seriously harm India in the T20I series

After the disappointment of bowing out of the semi-finals of the World Cup, Team India have departed for the tour of West Indies. The tour will commence with a tough assignment in the three-match T20I series against the defending world champions. Though India maybe a stronger unit on paper in the 50-over format, the T20s are a whole different proposition altogether. The Windies are blessed with some of the most dangerous players in the shortest format of the game. Here we take a look at 5 players who could pose a big threat to India in the upcoming series.

Nicolas Pooran: Windies’ Rising Star

23-year old Pooran is regarded as one of the upcoming stars in the shorter versions of the game. He performed admirably well in the recent World Cup, ending the campaign as West Indies’ top scorer. At an average of 52.43, he scored 367 runs with two half-centuries and one century. The talented batter also performed well in the T20 series’ against England, Bangladesh and India in the recent past.

He was also in sensational form in the previous edition of the CPL, scoring 267 runs in 10 matches at an average of 33.37 and a strike-rate of 144.32. He has the ability to play some big shots in the middle-over and also rotates the strike well.

Shimron Hetmyer: The Dasher

Considered one of the most explosive players in the T20 format of the game, Hetmyer is viewed as the future of Windies cricket by many. Feeling the void left by Chris Gayle, Hetmyer will be tasked with hitting the big sixes for the Windies. Hetmyer had a decent showing during the World Cup, ending up the third top run-scorer for the Caribbean outfit.

In the CPL, Hetmyer was in brilliant knick, scoring 440 runs in 12 matches at an average of 40 and a strike-rate of 148.14 with 1 century and 2 half-centuries. Hetmyer, like Pooran, rotates the strike well and is a good player of spin bowling. His battles against Krunal Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja and Rahul Chahar in the middle-overs will be certainly interesting to watch.

Also Read: How have India’s current T20 players fared in Caribbean

Sunil Narine: The X-Factor

Making a comeback after almost two years in the international T20 side, Narine will be a determined customer to showcase his abilities. Possessing various potent variations in his armour, Narine has picked up 420 wickets in T20 cricket. Narine has also emerged as a threatening opening batter, flaunting his striking abilities for KKR in the IPL. The Windies all-rounder certainly has the ability to win a match on his own on a good day.

Andre Russell: Windies’ Might

One of the biggest superstars of T20 cricket, Russell will certainly be the biggest threat to the Indian cricket team. With his destructive hitting ability, he has struck fear in the hearts of bowlers all around the world. Combined with his ability to consistently bowl at a rapid pace, Russell is truly the complete T20 package. In T20 cricket, he has 17 half-centuries and two centuries to his name. He has also picked up 270 wickets.

He was the star performer in the 2019 IPL, often being a one-man show for Kolkata Knight Riders. In 14 matches, he scored 510 runs at an average of 56.66 with a strike-rate of over 200.

Carlos Brathwaite: The Match-Winner

Carlos Brathwaite has seen his career defined by two memorable knocks. The first one came against England in T20 World Cup final in 2016. He tonked Ben Stokes for four sixes which won the Caribbean outfit the World Cup. The second one came against New Zealand at the recently concluded World Cup in England. He scored an explosive 101, which almost guided his team to a victory.

But apart from these two knocks, Brathwaite is still an excellent player in the shortest format of the game. He scores his runs at a rapid pace with a strike-rate of 144.68. He also has 131 scalps to his name.