Ranchi: Captain Shai Hope led from the front with a blistering unbeaten century, while Sherfane Rutherford’s explosive knock provided the perfect support as West Indies pulled off a remarkable run chase to clinch a thrilling six-wicket victory over India in the second match of the five-match T20I series. The emphatic win levelled the series at 1–1 on Friday, October 9, at the JSCA International Stadium Complex in Ranchi. The memorable triumph propelled West Indies to the second-highest successful run chase in men’s T20I cricket.
Put in to bat first, India posted a formidable total of 249/5, registering their highest-ever score against West Indies in T20Is. Sanju Samson spearheaded the batting effort with a brilliant knock of 82 off just 41 balls, before Shreyas Iyer and Tilak Varma unleashed a blistering late assault to propel India to an imposing total. In response, West Indies endured a disastrous start as Mayank Yadav struck twice in the opening over. However, the visitors staged a remarkable comeback as captain Shai Hope and Sherfane Rutherford turned the tide with a breathtaking 120-run partnership. Hope remained unbeaten on a spectacular century off just 45 balls, while Rutherford unleashed a devastating 84 off 37 deliveries. Their explosive partnership dismantled the Indian bowling attack and powered West Indies to a stunning chase, reaching 253/4 with nine balls to spare. The evening witnessed a breathtaking display of power-hitting, with explosive strokes, towering sixes and a flurry of boundaries lighting up the ground as runs flowed freely across every corner of the field.
The second match of the five-match series began with West Indies winning the toss and electing to bowl first. Batting first, India made a flying start, racing to 79/1 by the end of the powerplay despite losing Abhishek Sharma (20 off 12 balls). Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan then took control of the innings, stitching together a commanding 97-run partnership off just 43 balls for the second wicket. Samson brought up his half-century in just 21 balls, equalling Virat Kohli’s record for the joint-fastest fifty by an Indian against the Caribbean side in T20Is. Kohli had achieved the feat at the Wankhede Stadium in 2019. Samson’s explosive start also powered India to their highest powerplay score against West Indies in T20Is, surpassing the previous record of 72 without loss, set at the Wankhede Stadium in 2019. Samson continued his attacking innings, smashing 82 off just 41 balls, including nine boundaries and four sixes. He received valuable support from Ishan Kishan, who contributed a fluent 43 off 22 deliveries. However, Kishan’s impressive knock came to an end when he was bowled by Roston Chase. Chase struck again in the following over, dismissing Shivam Dube for 7 off 10 balls. Samson’s outstanding innings also ended before he could reach a well-deserved century, allowing the West Indies bowlers to briefly regain some control. However, Shreyas Iyer and Tilak Varma launched a brilliant late-innings assault, stitching together a valuable 83-run partnership off just 33 balls for the fifth wicket. Iyer contributed a fluent 40 off 18 deliveries before being dismissed in the final over, while Tilak Varma remained unbeaten on a stunning 44 off just 18 balls. Their crucial late-innings contributions propelled India to a formidable total of 249/5 in their 20 overs, setting West Indies a challenging target of 250. Roston Chase spearheaded the West Indies bowling attack with three wickets, while Shamar Springer claimed two wickets.
Chasing a daunting target of 250, West Indies endured a shaky start as Mayank Yadav struck twice in consecutive deliveries, dismissing Kamil Pooran (4 off 2) and Shimron Hetmyer for a duck. Despite the early setbacks, Shai Hope and Rovman Powell steadied the innings with a counterattacking approach, guiding West Indies to 72 during the powerplay. Mayank Yadav returned to dismiss Powell, who had contributed a valuable 24 off 13 deliveries. Sherfane Rutherford then joined Hope at the crease, and the pair dramatically shifted the momentum in West Indies’ favour. The duo built a crucial 120-run partnership off just 54 balls, taking on both the spin and pace attacks with aggressive batting and putting the Indian bowlers under immense pressure. Rutherford launched an explosive assault, smashing 84 off just 37 deliveries, including seven boundaries and seven sixes, before Kuldeep Yadav finally broke the partnership in the 15th over. Despite Rutherford’s dismissal, West Indies still needed a strong finish to seal the victory. Hope remained calm and composed at the crease, continuing his outstanding innings while finding an ideal partner in Romario Shepherd, who provided valuable support with an unbeaten 34 off just 13 balls. Hope brought up his magnificent century in just 45 deliveries, reaching the milestone in style with a six. He finished unbeaten on 102 off 45 balls, striking six boundaries and nine sixes, as West Indies completed a remarkable chase with nine balls to spare. With his remarkable century, Shai Hope created history by becoming only the second player in the world to score centuries in all three formats of international cricket against India. Former Australian all-rounder Shane Watson is the only other player to have achieved this feat, having scored at least one century in Tests, ODIs and T20Is against India during his international career. Before this outstanding innings, Hope had already scored one Test century and five ODI centuries against India. His unbeaten hundred in Ranchi completed the set, earning him his maiden T20I century against the Indian team. West Indies eventually finished on 253/4 in 18.3 overs, completing the second-highest successful run chase in men’s T20I cricket. The record remains South Africa’s successful chase of 259 against West Indies in 2023, the highest in the format. India’s bowling attack struggled to contain the visitors’ explosive batting as the hosts failed to defend their formidable total despite posting an imposing score. For his brilliant unbeaten century and decisive contribution to West Indies’ remarkable victory, Shai Hope deservedly earned the Player of the Match award. With the five-match T20I series level at 1–1, the two sides will face off in the third encounter on Sunday, October 11, at the Holkar Stadium in Indore.
