Amid the alleged rift and the possibility of new management after the conclusion of the series, the Indian team is all set to take on West Indies in the first of the three T20Is.
The first two matches will be played in Florida, United States. The selectors have inducted a few new faces in the squad with an aim to build a core before the next World T20 which will take place in Australia next year.
However, when the games begin, all eyes will be on Rohit Sharma, who was in roaring form in the World Cup and been in the news for not being on the same page as captain Virat Kohli. Rohit needs to step up and set the tone for the rest of the match and the series at hand.
Rohit holds the key at the top of the order
The Indian vice-captain has a chance to script history when India lock horns with West Indies in the first T20I at Central Broward Regional Park Stadium Turf Ground in Florida on Saturday.
The right-hander has 102 sixes to his name in the shortest format and needs to smack four more to overtake West Indian Chris Gayle for most maximums in T20I cricket. He will also overtake New Zealand's Martin Guptill on the list.
Chris Gayle is not part of the West Indies' T20 squad, which makes the job easier for the Indian opener, who needs to set the stage for the rest of the batting order. The swashbuckling opener is the current highest run-scorer in T20Is and he has also has scored the most number of centuries (four tons) in this format.
India's performance in this series will be closely monitored as it comes after the heartbreaking exit in the semi-finals of the World Cup. The equations of the players will also be closely watched, as the captain clearly mentioned in the press conference prior to the team's departure for Florida.
"I get to hear from the outside, if the team environment is not good then the way we have been playing in the last 2-3 years is not possible. Because I know the how important the dressing room environment and the trust factor is to succeed in international cricket," said Kohli.
