Shai Hope Stars as West Indies Outclass India in Run Fest to Level T20I Series

West Indies captain Shai Hope produced a match-winning knock to help his side pull off a big chase against India in the second T20I at Ranchi. The visitors reached the target of 250 with six wickets still in hand, bringing the five-match series level at 1-1.

Talking about the start, India put up a huge total of 249/5 after being sent in to bat first, with several players making valuable contributions.

The fearless knock of Sanju Samson led the way for India, as he scored 82 from 41 deliveries, smashing nine boundaries and four sixes. Besides him, Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer and Tilak Varma also performed well, giving India a gigantic total on the board.

In the second innings, West Indies reached the target of 250 with six wickets in hand and nine balls remaining, thanks to a brilliant unbeaten century from captain Shai Hope.

The chase got off to a terrible start for the visitors, as Kamil Pooran fell for four and Shimron Hetmyer was dismissed for a duck in the opening over. Hope then found support from Rovman Powell, who helped steady the innings with a 53-run stand for the third wicket. Their partnership ended in the sixth over when Mayank Yadav dismissed Powell for 24 runs.

Sherfane Rutherford then came to the crease and built a steady partnership with the captain to halt the Indian charge. The pair changed the course of the chase with a 120-run stand, putting the visitors back in control of the match.

After playing a blazing innings of 84 from 37 balls, Rutherford was finally dismissed by Kuldeep Yadav in the 16th over, with West Indies still needing 72 runs to win.

Romario Shepherd then came to the middle and helped Hope keep the chase on track. The two batters went after the Indian bowlers in the closing overs, adding 74 runs off just 26 balls to seal a memorable win for the West Indies.

Shai Hope was then named Player of the Match, as his superlative hundred stunned the home side, giving West Indies a series-levelling victory in Ranchi. The third T20I between the two sides will now be played on Sunday, which is again expected to be a high-scoring contest.