West Indies captain Rovman Powell won the toss and opted to bowl first against PNG in the opening Group C match. Despite a green-tinged pitch the two-time former champions opted for three spinners – Roston Chase, Akeil Hosein and Gudakesh Motie – in their final 11 at the start of a campaign in which they seek to become the first hosts to lift the T20 World Cup. PNG, who stunned Zimbabwe on an unbeaten run to qualify for their second T20 World Cup appearance, are again reliant on their most experienced players – captain Assad Vala and fellow top-order batters Tony Ura and Lega Siaka – to post a challenging total.