The West Indies and South Africa cricket teams are scheduled to leave India after being stranded due to travel restrictions caused by the Middle East conflict following their T20 World Cup campaigns.
West Indies will look to maintain their winning form against a struggling Nepal side in their T20 World Cup Group C match at the Wankhede Stadium. West Indies have won both their matches so far, while Nepal are coming off a heavy defeat against Italy.
Shai Hope praises West Indies' squad depth after a nine-wicket win over Nepal seals Super Eights berth in the T20 World Cup, with Jason Holder and Matthew Forde starring.
The ICC said the South African contingent had begun departing for home on Wednesday with "four players and five family members having boarded the flight".
West Indies players are leaving India on commercial flights in batches after their departure was delayed due to international airspace closures amid ongoing conflict in the Middle East, the Caribbean side's governing body CWI said on Tuesday.
West Indies' commanding victory over Zimbabwe in the T20 World Cup has significantly increased the pressure on India to win their remaining matches by a substantial margin to secure a spot in the semifinals.
India's virtual T20 World Cup quarterfinal against West Indies at Eden Gardens will be played on the same pitch that produced the tournament's first 200-plus total, with dew and spin likely to play key roles.
Hope to lead West Indies in T20 World Cup; Sampson, Joseph included
Shai Hope's unbeaten hundred steered West Indies to 212/4 in a mammoth chase of 531 on day four of the opening Test against New Zealand.
The West Indies and South Africa, both undefeated, will battle in a Super 8 match of the T20 World Cup. The West Indies' powerful batting will be tested by South Africa's balanced bowling attack. The result could significantly impact India's chances of reaching the semi-finals.
Shimron Hetmyer's explosive innings of 85 runs powered West Indies to a commanding 107-run victory over Zimbabwe in the T20 World Cup Super 8s match.
West Indies captain Shai Hope took responsibility for his slow batting in their T20 World Cup match against India, which led to their elimination from the mega-event.
The Eden Gardens was packed to the rafters as Indian fans, tri-colour in tow, cheered the Indian team in their last Super 8 match against the West Indies in Kolkata on Sunday.
Clarity of roles driving WI's clinical run into Super Eights: Shai Hope
Shimron Hetmyer smashed an unbeaten 48 in 22 balls to help West Indies to a six-run victory over hosts South Africa in a T20 International reduced to 10 overs per side.
India and West Indies clash in a high-stakes virtual quarter-final on Sunday, with the winner advancing to the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup.
New Zealand dismissed West Indies for 205 and reached 24 without loss in reply on the opening day of the second Test on Wednesday.
Scotland, a late entry into the T20 World Cup, is set to face West Indies in their opening match. Scotland aims to prove their worth and cause upsets against higher-ranked teams, while West Indies look to leverage their experience and firepower.
Shimron Hetmyer's brilliant counter-attack with the bat and Romario Shepherd's hat-trick powered West Indies to an emphatic 35-run victory against Scotland.
West Indies batting coach Floyd Reifer emphasises maximising scoring opportunities over solely hitting sixes in their crucial T20 World Cup clash against South Africa.
Dipendra Singh Airee and Sompal Kami's late partnership helped Nepal reach 133 for 8 against the West Indies in their T20 World Cup Group C match. Airee's 58 and Kami's unbeaten 26 lifted Nepal after a poor start.
Sanju Samson's majestic knock of 97 from 50 balls single-handedly powered India to a five-wicket win over West Indies to seal their spot in the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup.
Justin Greaves produced a nine-and-a-half-hour batting masterclass before walking into Caribbean lore after his maiden Test double hundred secured an unlikely draw for West Indies.
Ibrahim Zadran and Darwish Rasooli slammed half-centuries as Afghanistan outclassed West Indies by 38 runs in the first T20 International in Dubai on Monday.
Batting great Sunil Gavaskar hailed Sanju Samson after his match-winning knock powered India to a five-wicket victory in the must-win match against West Indies in the T20 World Cup.
Kane Williamson was included in the New Zealand squad for December's three-Test series against West Indies.
Bangladesh spinners wreaked havoc with the ball as they picked up all 10 wickets to help the hosts rout West Indies by 179 runs in the third and final ODI in Dhaka on Thursday.
Fast bowler Jacob Duffy and spinner Ajaz Patel routed West Indies as New Zealand won the third and final Test by 323 runs to complete a 2-0 series victory
India remained on course for a 2-0 series sweep after enforcing the follow-on but West Indies produced a much better batting display in their second innings to reach 173-2 on day three of the second and final Test in New Delhi on Sunday.
'With the ease and the calmness that he batted, it gave us a lot of confidence that now, probably, we are on the right track.'
Middle-order batter Kavem Hodge returns to the Test squad but there was no room for Khary Pierre with spin bowling expected to play a limited role in the series.
New Zealand will pin their hopes on a rookie attack and field a new wicketkeeper when they take on the West Indies in the second Test in Wellington starting on Wednesday following a slew of injuries.
Nepal made history on Saturday, shocking the West Indies by 19 runs in the first T20 International of the three-match series between the countries in Sharjah. It is their first-ever victory over a Full Member across formats.
Australia claimed a three-wicket victory over the West Indies in the fourth Twenty20 international on Saturday
Kane Williamson has decided to skip the three-match ODI series to focus on the Test series against the West Indies next month.
India beat West Indies by seven wickets in the second and final Test to complete a 2-0 series sweep at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Tuesday.
Cricket West Indies (CWI) have "identified about a hundred things" that need improvement, including inculcating a sense of pride among young players, raising the standard of domestic tournaments, and bringing in more money, said the board after after an emergency meeting with the island's past players.
It remains to be seen if the selectors pick Jasprit Bumrah for both Tests considering that there is only is a three day gap between the Asia Cup final and the first Test against the West Indies.
Legendary Brian Lara said the struggling West Indies would "find a way" in getting their act together in Test cricket if they really had "cricket at heart".
The short turnaround time from the high of winning a controversy-marred Asia Cup notwithstanding, Shubman Gill's India will be outright favourites against a struggling and under-strength West Indies when the teams face-off on a green-top in the first Test in Ahmedabad on Thursday.
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