West Indies beat India in Ranchi with record 250-run chase to level T20I series
West Indies beat India in Ranchi with record 250-run chase to level T20I series
West Indies beat India in Ranchi on Friday night with one of the great T20 chases, hunting down a target of 250 with nine balls to spare to win the second T20I by six wickets and level the five-match series at 1-1. Captain Shai Hope led the assault with an unbeaten 102 off 45 balls as the visitors finished on 252 for four in 18.3 overs — the second-highest successful run chase in men’s T20I history.
How West Indies beat India in Ranchi
The chase began in ruins. Pacer Mayank Yadav struck twice in the opening over, removing Kamil Pooran and Shimron Hetmyer off successive deliveries, and West Indies were five for two. Hope and Rovman Powell hit back with a 53-run stand off 27 balls before Mayank returned to bowl Powell for 24.
At 58 for three in the sixth over, the game looked gone. Then Hope and Sherfane Rutherford cut loose. The pair added 120 runs for the fourth wicket in just over eight overs, dragging the required rate back under control. Rutherford, dropped on 38 when Mayank spilled a simple chance at short fine leg, made India pay with 84 off 37 balls before falling to Kuldeep Yadav.
Hope never blinked. He raised his hundred off 45 deliveries and finished 102 not out, and with Romario Shepherd smashing an unbeaten 34 off 13 balls, West Indies closed it out with an over and a half to spare. Mayank finished with three for 36, the only India bowler to hold his nerve on a brutal night for the home attack.
Samson’s 82 powers India to 249
India had looked in complete control at the halfway mark. Asked to bat first, they raced to 42 inside four overs before Roston Chase broke the opening stand. Sanju Samson carried on, striking 82 off 41 balls until Shamar Springer removed him, while Chase also accounted for Ishan Kishan (43) and Shivam Dube.
Shreyas Iyer and Tilak Varma rebuilt in style, adding 83 off 32 balls at the death. Iyer made 40 before falling to the penultimate ball of the innings, while Tilak finished 44 not out off 18, lifting India to 249 for five — a total that has rarely been defended in this format, and was not defended here.
A chase for the record books
The 252-run chase sits second on the all-time list of successful T20I pursuits, behind only South Africa’s 259 against West Indies in Centurion in 2023. It is the highest successful chase in West Indies’ history and a record winning pursuit against India, who had taken the series opener on October 6.
The result underlines how far this West Indies side has come on a testing tour, with the captain leading from the front when the series was on the line. India, firm favourites after piling up 249, were left to rue the dropped catch and a death-bowling display that leaked runs at every turn.
The teams now head to Indore for the third T20I on Sunday, with the series finely poised at one-all.
FAQs
What was the result of the India vs West Indies 2nd T20I?
West Indies won by six wickets, reaching 252 for four in 18.3 overs after India posted 249 for five in Ranchi on October 9, 2026. The five-match series is level at 1-1.
Who was the Player of the Match?
Shai Hope, for his unbeaten 102 off 45 balls — the innings that anchored the record chase from five for two.
Is this the highest successful chase in T20I history?
No. It is the second-highest. South Africa’s 259 against West Indies in Centurion in 2023 remains the highest. The Ranchi chase is West Indies’ highest successful pursuit in the format.
When is the next match in the series?
The third T20I takes place in Indore on Sunday, October 11, with the series level at 1-1.
