The West Indies etched their name into T20 International history on Friday by becoming the first team to successfully pursue a 250-run target in the format's history. The victory, achieved in Ranchi, levelled their five-match series with India at 1-1.
Captain Shai Hope opted to bowl first after winning the toss. India's batsmen made that decision look questionable early, racing to 79-1 during the powerplay. Sanju Samson, dropped on six by Kamil Pooran, capitalised ruthlessly to compile 82 runs from 41 deliveries before Shamar Springer caught him. Ishan Kishan's aggressive 43 complemented Samson's innings, while Tilak Varma and Shreyas Iyer combined for an 83-run partnership to propel India to 249-5. Roston Chase stood out among the Caribbean bowlers, claiming 3-24 from his four overs.
The West Indies' reply began disastrously. Mayank Yadav removed both Pooran and Shimron Hetmyer in the opening over, leaving the visitors in early trouble. Hope then joined forces with Sherfane Rutherford to rebuild the innings. The pair's aggressive partnership yielded 120 runs from just 54 deliveries, establishing a new West Indies record for a fourth-wicket stand in T20Is and surpassing the previous mark of 103 shared by Dwayne Bravo and Hetmyer.
Hope reached his 14th T20I half-century in 23 balls and progressed to the second-fastest century by a West Indies batter in the format, reaching three figures off 45 deliveries. Rutherford contributed 84 runs to the stand. A 24-run over against Kuldeep Yadav proved pivotal in shifting momentum decisively toward the Caribbean side. Romario Shepherd, despite a mid-over injury while bowling in the 17th over, remained unbeaten on 34 as the West Indies sealed a six-wicket victory with nine balls unused.
Hope has now scored centuries across all three international formats while playing in India. The combined 501 runs across both innings represents the highest aggregate score ever recorded in a Men's T20 International.
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