India and West Indies head into the 5th T20I at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru on October 17, 2026, with the five-match series locked at 2-2. India lost the 4th T20I in Hyderabad by 24 runs, handing West Indies the momentum going into the decider.
Shreyas Iyer leads India in the series, with Tilak Varma serving as vice-captain. India had earlier won the preceding three-match ODI series 2-1, but the T20I leg has been far more competitive. Here are three changes India should consider for the series decider.
1. Bring Kuldeep Yadav back into the playing XI
Kuldeep Yadav featured in the first two T20Is of the series but was left out of the playing XI for the 3rd and 4th games. The left-arm wrist-spinner was the leading wicket-taker in the ODI leg of the same tour, claiming 7 wickets across three matches. His last T20I before this series was on February 15, 2026, against Pakistan, and he has now played 54 T20Is in total.
With the Bengaluru surface historically known to favour wrist spinners, Kuldeep's inclusion could be a welcome trick for the Indian side looking to win the series decider.
2. Improve the run rate through the middle overs
India's batting has produced strong starts across the series, but the runs have dried up through the middle phase. The team has struggled to convert those early platforms into commanding totals, and the middle overs have been a consistent area of concern.
At a ground like Bengaluru, where boundaries are short and the outfield is quick, batters need to maintain their scoring rate deep into the innings. India's middle-order batters will need to show greater intent and find ways to rotate strike and attack when the opportunity arises in the 5th T20I.
3. Add more variations to the seam bowling attack
India's seamers have relied heavily on pace and line-and-length bowling through the series, but the Bengaluru pitch rewards a different approach. Cutters and hit-the-deck deliveries tend to be effective at Chinnaswamy, particularly in the middle and death overs.
Introducing more variations, including slower balls and change-of-pace deliveries, could make India's seam attack harder to read. With the series on the line, the bowlers will need to adapt their plans to the conditions at Bengaluru rather than sticking to a single template.
