India have made two changes to their playing eleven for the third T20I against West Indies at Holkar Stadium, Indore on 11 October 2026, bringing back seam-bowling all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy and pacer Prince Yadav in place of Shivam Dube and Kuldeep Yadav. West Indies captain Shai Hope won the toss and elected to bowl first, setting up what promises to be another high-octane contest in the five-match series now level at 1-1.

Team Changes and Toss

India skipper Shreyas Iyer confirmed the two changes ahead of the match, attributing them to pitch dimensions and specific role requirements. 'The dew factor played a massive role in the previous game, on a given day it happens you need to have that mindset to put it behind. It's important that we adapt and assess quickly to get to a commendable total. Given the dimensions we made those changes and we also needed someone who can hit the yorkers,' Iyer said.

For West Indies, captain Shai Hope revealed that pace all-rounder Romario Shepherd has been rested due to a niggle, with Quentin Sampson and Keemo Paul drafted into the playing eleven. Hope opted to bowl first again, as he had in Ranchi, saying: 'I think we all know what I am going to do, so we are going to bowl first again. It's going to be challenging when you are playing all three formats. Just about learning as quickly as possible in these conditions. We always know that catches determine a lot of games.'

Series Context and What's at Stake

The series is perfectly poised following West Indies' thrilling record-breaking run chase in the second T20I in Ranchi, which levelled the five-game series at 1-1. A victory for either side in Indore will hand them a crucial 2-1 series lead with two games remaining. The contest carries added significance as both squads look to build momentum and depth ahead of upcoming international assignments.

The Indore Pitch Factor

Holkar Stadium is traditionally regarded as a batter's paradise, featuring short boundaries and a flat surface that routinely produces high-scoring encounters. The expected dew in the evening session could further aid the side batting second, which may have influenced Hope's decision to bowl first — mirroring the tactics that paid dividends in Ranchi. India's changes appear designed specifically to counter Indore's conditions, with Nitish Kumar Reddy's ability to bowl effective death-overs and hit yorkers a key addition.

Playing XIs

India: Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer (captain), Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Naman Dhir, Axar Patel, Mayank Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, and Prince Yadav.

West Indies: Shai Hope (captain & wk), Kamil Pooran, Shimron Hetmyer, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Quentin Sampson, Keemo Paul, Roston Chase, Shamar Springer, Shamar Joseph, and Gudakesh Motie.

With the series finely balanced and Indore's batting-friendly conditions primed for fireworks, the third T20I is set to be a pivotal moment in the contest — whichever side successfully adapts to the dew and dimensions first is likely to seize the advantage.