India–West Indies T20I series starts October 6: Opener time, venue and how to watch

India’s five-match T20I series against West Indies begins on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, at 7 p.m. India Standard Time. The opening match is scheduled for the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow. In India, viewers can watch on the Star Sports network or stream on JioHotstar. There has been no announced change to the opener’s date, start time or venue.

When and where is the first T20I?

The Lucknow match starts at 7 p.m. IST, which is 1:30 p.m. UTC. For viewers in the United States, that is 9:30 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time, 8:30 a.m. Central Daylight Time or 6:30 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time on October 6. The scheduled start is the match start, not necessarily the beginning of television coverage.

Ekana Cricket Stadium is the first of five venues on this leg of West Indies’ India tour. The T20Is follow a three-match ODI series, but viewers checking fixtures should be careful not to confuse the two formats: October 6 is the first T20I, not the first match of the overall tour.

How can viewers watch?

In India, Star Sports is carrying the television broadcast, including Star Sports 1 and Star Sports 1 Hindi, while JioHotstar is the streaming destination. Viewers should check their television package or streaming access ahead of the start rather than assume a standard TV or mobile subscription includes the match.

In the United States, the opener is listed for Willow by Cricbuzz. It appears in Willow’s coverage and in listings for the Willow subscription through Prime Video and TrillerTV. Access may depend on the service and subscription a viewer uses; JioHotstar’s India listing should not be treated as a US viewing option.

What is the full T20I schedule?

All five matches are currently scheduled for 7 p.m. IST, with the series moving to a different city after each game:

• October 6: First T20I — Lucknow, Ekana Cricket Stadium.
• October 9: Second T20I — Ranchi, JSCA International Stadium Complex.
• October 11: Third T20I — Indore, Holkar Stadium.
• October 14: Fourth T20I — Hyderabad, Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium.
• October 17: Fifth T20I — Bengaluru, M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.

The dates are spread across 12 days, so there is no match on October 7 or 8. Each fixture has its own venue; fans planning to attend should check the city as well as the date before making arrangements.

What changed before the opener?

The notable late updates concern the squads, not the match schedule. The Board of Control for Cricket in India said it withdrew Washington Sundar from the T20I squad so he could prepare for the upcoming Test series against New Zealand through red-ball cricket. Naman Dhir was named as his replacement. Shreyas Iyer remains India’s captain, with Tilak Varma listed as vice-captain.

West Indies have added wicketkeeper-batter Amir Jangoo as cover for Jewel Andrew after Andrew hurt a finger during the third ODI on October 3. Andrew was being monitored and had not been ruled out of the T20I series when the change was reported. Jangoo’s addition should therefore not be read as confirmation that Andrew will miss the opener. Shai Hope is West Indies’ captain.

Neither squad announcement fixes a playing XI for Lucknow. Viewers looking for confirmed lineups, or for any weather-related adjustment on match day, should check the match listing close to the scheduled start. As of October 6, the published fixture remains a 7 p.m. IST start in Lucknow.