In an extraordinary display of aggressive batting, West Indies overhauled a massive 250-run target in just 18.3 overs to beat India in the second fixture of the five-match T20 series. Batting first, India rode on half-centuries and blistering cameos from Sanju Samson, Shreyas Iyer, and Tilak Varma to post 249 for 5 in their allotted 20 overs. West Indies then mounted a relentless counter-attack, reaching 252 to record their highest successful run chase against India in T20 international history.
Shai Hope and Sherfane Rutherford Lead Historic Chase
Pursuing 250, West Indies endured early hiccups before captain Shai Hope and Sherfane Rutherford completely dictated terms. The duo dismantled the Indian bowling attack with sustained boundary-hitting across the ground. Shai Hope anchored the pursuit masterfully, remaining unbeaten on 102. At the other end, Sherfane Rutherford blasted 84 runs to keep the required run rate well within grasp. The visitors cruised to 252 with nine balls to spare. For India, fast bowler Mayank Yadav picked up 3 wickets, but his breakthroughs were not enough to halt the momentum established by the Caribbean pair.
Sanju Samson Returns to Form with Rapid Fifty
Earlier in the match, India laid an exceptional foundation through Sanju Samson, who regained form following a lean spell in his previous four outings. Samson raced to his ninth T20 half-century off just 21 deliveries. Opening the innings, Abhishek Sharma started briskly by lofting spinner Akeal Hosein for a six before departing for 20 off 12 balls. Samson took time to settle and received an early reprieve on 6 when Pooran spilled a catch at cover off Hosein. Capitalizing immediately, Samson struck Hosein for three sixes and two fours in one sequence.
Samson then combined with Ishan Kishan, who was playing on his home ground, to construct a commanding 97-run partnership. Kishan struck six boundaries and two sixes in an enterprising 43 off 22 balls. The duo lifted India to 139 for 1 after 11 overs at a run rate of 12 runs per over. Samson fell in the 15th over for 82 off 41 balls, missing out on a century by 18 runs when Shamar Springer had him caught at deep backward point by Kamil Pooran.
Roston Chase Strikes Back Before Late Indian Surge
West Indies fought back through off-spinner Roston Chase, who broke the Samson-Kishan stand with two wickets in quick succession. Both Kishan and Shivam Dube were bowled while attempting expansive strokes. The team management's decision to promote Dube to number four did not yield dividends, as he consumed ten deliveries for just seven runs. India lost three wickets for 23 runs during the middle phase.
However, captain Shreyas Iyer, who had registered his maiden T20 century in Lucknow in the previous game, maintained his momentum by scoring 40 off 18 deliveries. He was ably supported by Tilak Varma, who hammered an unbeaten 44 off 18 balls. During his knock, Tilak Varma also reached the milestone of 5,000 runs in T20 cricket. Iyer and Varma stitched an 83-run partnership in just 32 balls, carrying India to 249 for 5. This total surpassed India's previous highest T20 score against West Indies, which was 244 for 4 set in 2016. For the bowling side, Chase finished with 3 wickets, while Shamar Springer claimed 2 wickets.
