Shai Hope struck an unbeaten 102 off 45 balls to lead West Indies to their highest successful run chase in T20I cricket, overhauling India's 249-5 total
with nine balls to spare in the second T20I in Ranchi. The result levelled the five-match series at 1-1.
Hope's century was the second-fastest T20I hundred by a West Indies player, moving him ahead of Chris Gayle's 47-ball ton in the record books. Only Johnson Charles, who reached three figures off 39 balls, has scored a faster T20I ton for the Windies. Hope's knock was also the joint-fastest hundred by any player against India in T20Is, equalling England's Jacob Bethell, who had struck a 45-ball ton in the T20 World Cup 2026.
West Indies were in early trouble at 58-3 when Hope and Shimron Rutherford put on a 120-run fourth-wicket partnership that turned the match decisively. Hope completed the win with the ninth six of his innings, the same blow that brought up his century, as West Indies crossed the line with an over to spare.
"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 (from) 5-2 was always going to be challenging," Hope said after the match.
How did West Indies pull off their record chase?
West Indies were reduced to 58-3 early in their chase of 250, with Indian speedster Mayank Yadav striking in the opening over with two successive wickets, including removing Shimron Hetmyer for a first-ball duck. Yadav also bowled Rovman Powell for 24 with a delivery that clocked 150 km/h (93 mph), leaving the visitors in a difficult position.
Hope and the left-handed Rutherford then launched an aggressive counter-attack. Rutherford reached his fifty off 24 balls and hit seven fours and seven sixes in a 37-ball blitz of 84 runs before falling to left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav. After Rutherford's dismissal, Hope put on an unbeaten stand of 74 with Romario Shepherd, who contributed 34, to see West Indies home.
This was West Indies' highest successful T20I chase, surpassing their previous best of 231 against South Africa in Johannesburg in 2015. The overall record for the highest successful run chase in men's T20 cricket belongs to South Africa, who scored 259-4 against the West Indies in Centurion in 2023. Rutherford described Hope as a "phenomenal player" and one who inspires him.
What did India's innings look like and what comes next?
India were asked to bat first and posted 249-5, with Sanju Samson making 82 off 41 balls. Samson and Ishan Kishan, who scored 43, added 97 runs for the second wicket after opener Abhishek Sharma departed for 20. Spinner Roston Chase then struck three times, bowling both Kishan and Shivam Dube to check India's momentum.
Pace bowler Shamar Springer dismissed Samson, but skipper Shreyas Iyer and Tilak Varma responded with 83 runs off 33 balls for the fifth wicket. Iyer fell to the penultimate ball of the innings after a rapid 40 off 18 balls, while Varma finished unbeaten on 44.
Indian speedster Mayank Yadav struck in the opening over with two successive wickets, including removing Shimron Hetmyer for a first-ball duck. Yadav also bowled Rovman Powell for 24 with a delivery that clocked 150 km/h (93 mph), but Hope and Rutherford turned the match in the West Indies' favour. Earlier, Sanju Samson made 82 off 41 balls before skipper Shreyas Iyer and Tilak Varma powered India to an imposing total after being asked to bat first. The third match of the five-game series is scheduled for Sunday in Indore, with the series level at 1-1.
