Ishan Kishan and Naman Dhir lit up a rain-shortened decider, but Shai Hope’s West Indies leave India with a landmark result
The five-match T20I series between India and West Indies ended level at 2-2 after rain ruined the decider at Bengaluru’s M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Saturday, October 17. Only 7.4 overs were possible in a nine-over contest. The no-result carried real weight: it ended India’s run of 12 consecutive home series wins, a streak that stretched back four years.
A short burst of fireworks
Thanks to the Chinnaswamy’s excellent drainage, play started almost as soon as the rain stopped. West Indies won the toss and sent India in for a nine-overs-a-side game.
India’s batters wasted no time. Ishan Kishan blasted 30 off just 10 balls, including two sixes. Naman Dhir was even more destructive at the end, smashing an unbeaten 24 off six balls with three sixes. India reached 118 for 5 before the rain returned for good.
Shamar Springer was the pick of the West Indies bowlers, taking 2 for 17 in 1.4 overs. Surprisingly, they did not use Roston Chase, the leading wicket-taker of the series.
If the weather had allowed a five-over chase, West Indies would have needed 84 to win. A restart would also have given Bhuvneshwar Kumar his first bowl in international cricket since 2022. The veteran seamer had been brought into the XI after Arshdeep Singh picked up a knock while batting in the previous match. Instead, the rain had the final say.
Shai Hope: the difference-maker
The story of the series belonged to Shai Hope. The West Indies captain scored 261 runs in four innings, including two match-winning centuries. He was named Player of the Series.
Hope’s century in the fourth T20I in Hyderabad was his third in the format, making him the first West Indies batter to reach that milestone. He finished unbeaten on 102 as West Indies posted 247 for 3. India replied strongly, with Sanju Samson racing to 56 off 23 balls. But Keemo Paul took 5 for 41 and West Indies won by 24 runs to set up the decider.
Sherfane Rutherford also played a key role, hitting 84 off 37 balls in West Indies’ first win and an unbeaten 49 in the second.
Hope’s form carried over from the ODI series that came before. India won that series 2-1, but Hope smashed an unbeaten 162 as West Indies chased down 350 in their only win.
“The swagger is back”
For West Indies, this was a big step forward. Before this tour, they had lost all three of their previous bilateral T20I series in India, winning just one match out of seven.
Head coach Daren Sammy said the 2-2 scoreline was a fair reflection of the series. He felt few people gave his team a chance at the start. He was also pleased with his players’ attitude, saying “the swagger is back, the confidence is back”.
The draw follows a strong year for West Indies in T20 cricket. They reached the semi-finals of the 2026 T20 World Cup in India in March and beat Sri Lanka in a home series. Sammy also linked on-field success to the board’s money problems. Cricket West Indies recently announced a major restructuring that included a 25% pay cut for contracted international players.
What India’s captain said
India captain Shreyas Iyer admitted the result could have been different if India had bowled better in the two games they lost. He praised Hope’s batting and highlighted his side’s ability to bounce back after defeats as a big positive.
Naman Dhir was one of the finds of the series for India, contributing with both bat and ball. However, young opener Vaibhav Sooryavanshi did not get a game, as Samson, Abhishek Sharma and Kishan held on to the top three spots. Iyer said Sooryavanshi needs to be patient after his impressive IPL season.
What’s next
There is little time to rest. India fly to New Zealand for another five-match T20I series, which starts on Thursday. Iyer expects it to be a tough tour. India’s bowling attack will be under the spotlight after conceding 247 in Hyderabad.
Series results at a glance
ODI series: India won 2-1
T20I series: Drawn 2-2 (fifth match: no result)
Player of the T20I Series: Shai Hope (261 runs, two centuries)
