Table of Contents
Two hundred and forty-nine runs ought to be enough to win a T20 match. At Ranchi, they were not. West Indies went after 250 and got there with nine balls remaining, closing on 253/4 in 18.3 overs. The result levelled the three-match series at 1-1 and produced a West Indies record chase that few spectators could have imagined when India’s innings ended.
India’s Batting Builds a Mountain
India were asked to bat on a flat, true surface and attacked from the outset. That total of 249/5 is India’s biggest T20I score against West Indies.
Sanju Samson’s 82 off 41 balls ended a lean spell with the bat. Ishan Kishan added 43 from 22. When Kishan departed, the tempo dipped briefly, but Shreyas Iyer (40 off 18) and Tilak Varma (44 off 18) soon lifted it again, sharing 83 in only 33 balls. For West Indies, Roston Chase finished with three wickets and Shamar Springer took two, while the other bowlers leaked runs.
Early Blows That Changed Little
Mayank Yadav struck in the first over, getting Pooran and Hetmyer with back-to-back deliveries. Two down and a huge total to chase, West Indies seemed to be in deep trouble.
Shai Hope had other ideas. He picked his boundaries well and kept the asking rate under control. Rovman Powell hit 24 from 13 balls, a strike rate of 184.61, and the Powerplay produced 72 runs. Powell fell to Mayank soon afterwards, but the hosts never built a sustained squeeze. That composure in the first six overs set the platform for everything that followed in the chase.
Rutherford Raises the Tempo
Sherfane Rutherford came in and attacked from his first ball, taking on seamers and spinners alike with big hits. He and Hope put on 120 from 54 balls, a partnership that effectively made this West Indies record chase possible. Rutherford fell to Kuldeep Yadav for 84 from 37, but by then the equation had become simple. The stand also swallowed the middle overs, the phase where bowling sides normally tighten the screws, so the asking rate kept dropping.
Hope marched on. His hundred arrived off 45 balls with a six over wide long-on, and he stayed unbeaten on 102 from the same number of deliveries. Dew made the ball hard to grip, which did the bowlers no favours.
Shepherd Finishes the Job
Romario Shepherd had gone off the field earlier with a niggle, but he walked in at number five and ended the game. His unbeaten 34 came from only 13 balls, with three fours and three sixes, and West Indies were home with nine balls unused.
Where This Chase Sits in History
Only one chase in men’s T20Is has been larger: South Africa’s 259/4 against West Indies at Centurion in 2023. After that come Bulgaria’s 246/4 against Serbia in Sofia in 2022, Australia’s 245/5 against New Zealand in Auckland in 2018 and Bulgaria’s 244/4 against Gibraltar in Sofia in 2025. This West Indies record chase is also the biggest the team has ever completed in the shortest format.
Earlier on this trip, they had already scored 352 to beat India in an ODI at New Chandigarh, their best chase in that format. Back-to-back mammoth pursuits against the same opponent say plenty about how this batting group handles pressure.
What India Must Fix
Gautam Gambhir was honest after the game. He said India needed to find a way to stop West Indies even after taking two wickets in the first over and three inside six. He gave credit to Hope and Rutherford, called them top-class batters in this format, and promised improvement.
The batting deserves praise, especially Samson’s return to form and the finishing of Iyer and Tilak. The bowling, though, turned loose once dew set in, and variations were hard to execute with a wet ball. Defending 249 and still losing shows how little room a bowling side has on a flat surface.
Looking Ahead to Indore
The deciding match takes place in Indore on 11 October. India will want sharper plans with the ball, particularly under dew, while West Indies can arrive with plenty of confidence and a captain scoring freely. Anyone who enjoys fast, high-scoring cricket will want to watch it, and the side that copes with the dew more smartly this time may clinch the series.
FAQs
1. What target was set for West Indies in Ranchi?
India finished on 249/5, so West Indies needed 250. They reached 253/4 in 18.3 overs.
2. What did Shai Hope score?
Hope remained unbeaten on 102 from 45 balls, reaching his century in the same number of deliveries.
3. Why is this West Indies record chase significant?
It is the second-highest successful chase in men’s T20I history, behind only South Africa’s 259/4 in 2023.
4. Who else contributed to the win?
Rutherford made 84 from 37, Powell hit 24 from 13 and Shepherd finished with an unbeaten 34 from 13.
5. When is the final T20I?
The third match is in Indore on 11 October, with the series level at 1-1.
Conclusion
Hope’s century, Rutherford’s fierce hitting and Shepherd’s quick finish turned a huge target into a comfortable win. India batted superbly, yet their bowling lost its shape as conditions changed. This West Indies record chase will be remembered for years, and the Indore decider now has plenty to live up to.