The countdown has begun for India's most important game of T20 World Cup 2026 as they gear up to face West Indies at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Sunday (March 1). This clash is a virtual quarterfinal as the winner shall progress to the semifinals while the loser gets eliminated. It is a high-stakes match of the highest order.
If West Indies had beaten South Africa in Ahmedabad, even an India win in Kolkata might not have been enough for the defending champions as their net run rate is well below the Caribbean stars. Nevertheless, now that the equation is straightforward, expect both teams to come out all guns blazing.
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West Indies have two unique records at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. In ICC tournaments, they are unbeaten at this venue. They played Scotland and Italy in T20 World Cup 2026 and also had their famous title-clinching win in the 2016 T20 World Cup final against England a decade ago.
However, West Indies are yet to beat India at this venue so far, having lost four out of four games. Those matches, though, were in bilateral series, one in 2018 and three games in 2022 during COVID19 pandemic. Among those four defeats, two came batting first and the other two were while chasing. Hence, there is no real pattern to the defeats either.
The surface for this massive T20 World Cup 2026 clash is a black soil pitch that looks a bit dry underneath but there is also a decent covering of grass. Like most pitches at Eden, this should be another good batting surface but perhaps, it could also be a fraction on the slower side.