The big guns are back.

As much as cricketing purists bemoan the advent of Twenty20 cricket, it has to be admitted that the West Indies-India T20 series, to be played in Florida in the United States no less, is the big box office draw.

The West Indies team looks a different beast compared to the pale shadow of their Test side series – Chris Gayle, Andre Russell, Dwayne Bravo, Kieron Pollard, Lendl Simmons, Johnson Charles and Sunil Narine all slot back into the team. Now, West Indies truly look like the two-time World Twenty20 champions that they are.

There is one notable exclusion though. Their inspirational captain at the World T20 triumph in India is no longer part of the team. Darren Sammy has been excluded from the squad and the team will be captained by Carlos Brathwaite, the power-hitter who lit up the Eden Gardens in April after hitting four sixes off the first four balls of the last over to win the title for West Indies.

The big box office draw

India will shed their Test whites for the dark blue, but there are some changes in their squad as well. Most of the big names will make a comeback to the T20 team after they were rested for the Zimbabwe series in June. Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja – all experienced hands – will return to the team captained by Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

The biggest surprise, though, is the exclusion of Suresh Raina, who was once considered to be India’s mainstay in the shortest format, before his form tailed off during the World T20. Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh and Pawan Negi, who were all part of the team in that tournament, have also been excluded, along with Ashish Nehra who is injured. The exciting KL Rahul has been picked in the squad, along with Umesh Yadav, Amit Mishra and Mohammed Shami.

Of course, much of the hype and build-up has been about India’s journey to uncharted waters.

Uncharted waters

The Central Brownard Regional Park Stadium Turf Ground in Lauderhill, Florida, is the only International Cricket Council-sanctioned venue in the US. It is also not a newbie to hosting international cricket. New Zealand and Sri Lanka played two T20Is here back in 2010, while the West Indies also took on the BlackCaps in two T20Is in 2012. Six matches of the Caribbean Premier League were also played at this venue in July.

But there is no doubt that India’s upcoming series against the West Indies has raised its profile considerably. A report in Wisden India stated that match tickets of $250 (approximately Rs 16,760) were sold out within the first few hours. It is probably safe to assume that while the series may not make much of a dent in America’s sporting consciousness, it will still be thronged by sell-out crowds, especially from the large Indian diaspora.

Going by past scores, the surface should add to the thrill by providing for the big hits. The average first-innings score in the six CPL matches played here last month was a healthy 170. With the number of big-hitters in the two teams, that could easily go beyond 200 and may well be chased down as well in the course of these two matches.

Subtexts add spice

There is not a lot riding on these two games in terms of context. A 2-0 whitewash for India would put them equal on points with New Zealand on top of the T20I rankings, but would still keep them in second spot. A similar score-line for West Indies would ensure they displace India from second spot.

But there are quite a few subtexts to the series. Dhoni will want to stamp his authority back on the team and show that he still remains the undisputed leader, notwithstanding the long home season that follows where Virat Kohli will be captain of the ship. As for the likes of Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo and Co., the motivation to excel in West Indian colours and prove a point to their cricket board has always acted as a strong motivation, as evidenced in their World Twenty20 triumph.

The runs should flow merrily in Uncle Sam’s country. Let us just hope the rain stays away.