West Indies defeated India by six wickets in the second T20I in Ranchi, chasing 250 to finish at 252/4 with two overs to spare. Captain Shai Hope smashed 102 off 45 balls, while Sherfane Rutherford hammered 84 off 37 deliveries in a match-winning 120-run partnership. India captain Shreyas Iyer said heavy dew made it difficult to determine a par score, while Hope credited partnerships, Rutherford’s explosive batting and Roston Chase’s economical spell for the victory. The result levelled the five-match series at 1-1.
Ranchi, October 2026 : India captain Shreyas Iyer admitted that the dew factor made it difficult to establish a par score after the West Indies pulled off a stunning six-wicket victory in the second T20I at the JSCA International Stadium Complex on Friday. Chasing a formidable target of 250, the visitors reached 252/4 in 18.3 overs, completing the second-highest successful chase in men’s T20 International cricket.
West Indies captain Shai Hope led the charge with a magnificent 102 off 45 balls, while Sherfane Rutherford smashed 84 off 37 deliveries. Their explosive batting overturned India’s early advantage and helped the visitors level the five-match series at 1-1.
Speaking after the match, Iyer said the combination of dew and a batting-friendly surface had made defending India’s total particularly challenging.
“Honestly speaking, you cannot put a number to it, because when the dew factor comes in, it plays a massive role. And even 249 was chased in, like, with two overs to spare. So you cannot give a number, or probably anticipate that, okay, this is the number we would be trying to score,” Iyer said.
The Indian captain acknowledged that the margin for error was extremely small on the surface, where even a slight mistake in execution could result in a boundary.
“The margin of error on this wicket is very minor, and any delivery, if you miss it, if you miss to execute it, it was going onto the stands, and you could see how exceptional they were batting,” he said.
Iyer admitted that India had missed a few opportunities but praised the visitors for their remarkable performance with the bat.
“So, a few missed chances here and there, but that's part and parcel of the game. But credit where it's due, they batted amazingly, and yeah, kudos to them,” he added.
Mayank’s early strikes put India in control
India appeared to have gained the upper hand when young fast bowler Mayank Yadav struck three times during the powerplay, dismissing Kamil Pooran, Shimron Hetmyer and Rovman Powell to leave the West Indies struggling at 5/2.
However, Hope and Rutherford responded with an extraordinary counter-attack. After Hope and Powell helped stabilise the innings, Rutherford joined the captain and shifted the momentum decisively towards the visitors.
Their 120-run fourth-wicket partnership proved decisive, with Rutherford taking on the Indian bowlers while Hope maintained the scoring rate and avoided unnecessary risks.
Iyer praised Mayank’s contribution, along with the performances of Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma, who had helped India establish a strong platform.
“Both were phenomenal in their departments, and this is what we look for now and then from Sanju and Abhishek. The way they've been performing consistently throughout, taking that responsibility and setting the pace for us — exceptional performances by them, and also Mayank,” he said.
“Those three crucial wickets, it was something that stabilized the rhythm for us up ahead, but then after that the partnership came in, and the momentum shifted towards them,” Iyer added.
India had earlier posted 249/5 in their 20 overs. Samson top-scored with a blistering 82 off 41 balls, while Iyer contributed 40 off 18 deliveries. Tilak Varma remained unbeaten on 44 off 18 balls, providing a late surge to take the hosts to a formidable total.
Hope credits partnerships and Rutherford’s counter-attack
West Indies captain Hope said building partnerships and Rutherford’s explosive contribution were central to the successful chase. He acknowledged that the early dismissals had made the task considerably more difficult.
“It's going to be a tough chase. But when you chase here in India, you always give yourself a chance. You always think you're in the game, regardless of what score is on the board. But five for two was always going to be challenging,” Hope said after being named Player of the Match.
Hope explained that his partnership with Powell helped restore confidence before Rutherford accelerated the innings.
“When we got that partnership there, myself and Rovman, we just got some more impetus in the innings, and then obviously Sherfane came and did what he did, played really well with the bat, and just gave us that spark that we needed to get over the line today,” he said.
The West Indies skipper said he was comfortable allowing Rutherford to dominate the attack during their match-winning partnership. Hope reached his century off 45 balls, while Rutherford struck seven fours and seven sixes.
“I really believe that we need to bat a lot better in partnerships. It's something that we tend to lack every now and again, but sometimes you just got to sit back, as you say, and watch (your partner) play shots,” Hope said.
He added that the priority was to maintain the required scoring rate without taking unnecessary risks.
“In that situation there, as long as we kept going at the rate to keep up with the game, then I didn't need to take any unnecessary risk. I thought we were going really nicely, so just about calculating that chase as best we can,” he explained.
Roston Chase’s spell provides crucial support
Hope also praised off-spinner Roston Chase, who returned figures of 3/24 to restrict India during their explosive innings. He said Chase’s control was particularly valuable given the difficult conditions for bowlers.
“On a surface and a field like this, to go at six runs an over is unbelievable. So he really kept us in the game. I know it was very difficult conditions to bowl on, so the way how he bowled and kept us in the game made it a lot easier for us to do that throughout the chase,” Hope said.
Asked about his ability to clear the boundaries consistently, Hope credited his bats, the playing conditions and a measure of good fortune.
“The ball seemed to be travelling quite a bit here. Yes, the boundaries were a little bit bigger on the bigger side, but you just got to back myself. Just once the ball's in my zone, look at the best option to get the boundary, and it just came off well today,” he said.
Hope added that his recent form reflected preparation and efforts to remain mentally fresh rather than any particular advantage from playing in India.
“Maybe I could say it's a good streak I have with my form right now, but I just think the way I'm preparing, the way I'm trying to stay mentally fresh and ready is giving me the best chance of performing,” he said.
Despite the outstanding century, Hope insisted that he would remain grounded and avoid allowing the performance to affect his mindset.
“No, definitely not. I never try to get too high. I try to keep myself as neutral as I can,” he added.
The victory marked a significant turnaround for the West Indies after Mayank’s early breakthroughs and gave the visitors renewed momentum heading into the third match of the series.
(Disclaimer :The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)
