T20s vs India - Not Too Many Egos To Handle in West Indies: Carlos Brathwaite

Carlos Brathwaite, who smashed four sixes against England's Ben Stokes to take West Indies to the World T20 title earlier this year, is under no pressure to lead the Caribbeans in the two-match T20 cricket series against India in Central Broward Regional Park in Lauderhill (USA) on August 27 and 28.

Twenty-eight-year-old Brathwaite replaced Darren Sammy as captain and the Barbados all-rounder says he has the "blessings" of the World Cup-winning skipper to lead a team full of T20 specialists.

"He (Sammy) just told me, 'Congratulations'. He heard it before I spoke to him, and he just said, 'Congratulations, it's a big challenge'.

He gave me his blessing and as a senior guy appreciated it, which allowed me to ease into the role," Brathwaite said in Port of Spain.

Brathwaite, who has played only eight T20 internationals, will lead a side that is loaded with T20 experience. Kieron Pollard and Sunil Narine, who missed the World T20 in India, have been included in the 13-man squad for the USA series.

"I think a team like this will be pretty easy to lead, from the point of view that the dressing room is a fun place to be. I don't think it's a case where I have to negotiate too many egos," he said.

"The guys enjoy each other's company. It's just a matter for me to go there, do the things that I can do, firstly as a player and then a captain, continue to mould the team that Darren has started to mould, efficiently.

"Again, the most important thing is getting victories for the West Indies. As a new leader, things might change bit by bit. It's just about adjusting and then for me to find ways for the team to continue to win.

"I don't want to get too deep into the psychology of changing leaders and stuff like that. I think all the guys are mature enough.

"We have had cases where some of the guys were captains, and then played the next series under a different captain. We are professionals, we all know what we have to go out there and do.

"It's a matter of, first, to go out there and win games for the West Indies and I hope that my leadership can influence that in some part. Even if it doesn't, if we win the games that will be the most important thing."

West Indies T20 squad: Andre Fletcher, Andre Russell, Carlos Brathwaite (captain), Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo, Evin Lewis, Jason Holder, Johnson Charles, Kieron Pollard, Lendl Simmons, Marlon Samuels, Samuel Badree, Sunil Narine

India T20 squad: MS Dhoni (captain), Virat Kohli, Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umesh Yadav, Amit Mishra, Stuart Binny.