India captain Shreyas Iyer won the toss and opted to bowl first against West Indies in the opening T20I at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on Tuesday. Naman Dheer has been handed his T20I debut, while teenage sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi misses out on the playing XI.

India vs West Indies 1st T20I: India Playing XI

India have made one notable debutant addition, with Naman Dheer receiving his first opportunity in T20 internationals. The all-rounder has established himself in the IPL with Mumbai Indians before earning his international call-up.

Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravi Bishnoi and Prince Yadav are the players left out of India's playing XI for the opening T20I.

India's playing XI: Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper), Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer (captain), Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Naman Dheer, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Mayank Yadav.

Why Is India Bowling First?

Explaining the decision at the toss, Iyer pointed towards the possibility of dew becoming a factor during the second innings.

"The pitch here is made of a mixture of red and black soil. There is also a possibility of dew coming later," Iyer said.

The conditions at the Ekana Cricket Stadium can offer assistance to both batters and bowlers. Chasing has also historically been difficult at the venue, with only one successful chase recorded in T20 matches at the stadium, according to the figures cited ahead of the contest.

India will therefore look to make the most of the bowling conditions early before assessing the target required in the second innings.

Naman Dheer Makes T20I Debut

Naman Dheer is making his T20 International debut against West Indies after establishing himself as a notable performer in domestic and franchise cricket.

The 26-year-old Punjab-born cricketer has represented Mumbai Indians in the IPL and has played 61 T20 matches, scoring 1,222 runs at a strike rate of 156.26.

Dheer had already made his ODI debut against West Indies on September 27. He now gets his first opportunity in India's T20I side as the hosts begin the three-match series in Lucknow.

West Indies Playing XI

West Indies captain Shai Hope will lead the side in the opening T20I and also keep wickets. The visitors have gone in with a strong combination of batters, all-rounders and spin options.

West Indies playing XI: Shai Hope (wicketkeeper/captain), Kamil Pooran, Shimron Hetmyer, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd, Matthew Ford, Roston Chase, Akeal Hosein, Shamar Springer, Shamar Joseph.