Shai Hope produced another batting masterclass with an unbeaten 102 off 50 balls as West Indies beat India by 24 runs in the fourth T20I in Hyderabad on Wednesday to level the five-match series at 2-2. Sent in to bat after India won the toss and chose to bowl, the tourists piled up 247 for three — driven by Shai Hope’s blistering century — before bowling India out for 223 to set up a winner-takes-all decider in Bengaluru.
It was Shai Hope’s third T20 international hundred, the most by any West Indies batter, and his second of the series — following the unbeaten 102 off 45 balls that had powered the highest successful run chase in West Indies T20I history in Ranchi. The skipper struck nine sixes and four fours, reaching three figures with a six off the final ball of the innings after launching Nitish Kumar Reddy for successive maximums.
Sherfane Rutherford supplied the perfect support act with an unbeaten 49 off 26 deliveries, the pair sharing an unbroken 91 for the fourth wicket — the second-highest partnership for that wicket for West Indies in T20Is. Shimron Hetmyer had earlier provided the impetus with a 12-ball 33, Rovman Powell contributed 24 off 17 and Jewel Andrew made a brisk 21 off 16 as West Indies raced to 79 for one in the powerplay, their highest against India in the format, and brought up their hundred in just 7.4 overs.
Shai Hope Leads Record-Breaking West Indies Onslaught
India captain Shreyas Iyer’s decision to bowl first unravelled almost immediately. Hope took command from the outset, measured against spin in the early overs before unleashing a devastating assault on the pace bowlers at the death. Boundaries flowed from both ends as India’s attack — missing the omitted Kuldeep Yadav for a second successive match — found no way to stem the tide.
The century crowned a golden tour for the West Indies captain. Earlier in the visit, his 162 in the third ODI had driven the highest successful ODI run chase in his country’s history, and his unbeaten hundred in Ranchi had rewritten the T20I record books. His evolution from Test-match accumulator to white-ball destroyer has been one of the defining stories of the international season.
For India, the sight of Shai Hope at the crease is becoming a recurring nightmare. Across formats on this tour he has now produced three match-defining hundreds, each arriving at moments when the contest hung in the balance.
Paul’s Five-For Completes Job After Shai Hope Blitz
Chasing 248 for victory, India began with intent as Sanju Samson raced to a rapid 56, but medium-pacer Keemo Paul turned the game in the fifth over, dismissing Samson and Ishan Kishan within four balls. India captain Shreyas Iyer laboured before falling to Shamar Springer for 16, while left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie removed Abhishek Sharma for 29 and Naman Dhir for a first-ball duck in the same over.
Paul returned in the 19th over to complete a five-wicket haul, finishing with five for 41 as India were dismissed for 223 in 19.3 overs, their innings ending with Arshdeep Singh unable to bat after being struck on the arm. “We were unfortunate we couldn’t execute our plans in bowling and that’s where we fell a bit short,” Iyer admitted afterwards.
The defeat carried historical weight: it was West Indies’ first T20I victory on Indian soil since 2019, and it ensured the series would go to a decider for the first time on this tour.
Decider Awaits as Shai Hope Chases More History
With the series locked at 2-2, the Bengaluru decider promises another run-fest — and India know that dismissing Shai Hope cheaply is now the single biggest determinant of the outcome.
India’s team balance will come under the microscope after consecutive defeats. The decision to leave out Kuldeep Yadav has already drawn fierce criticism from Ravichandran Ashwin, while the handling of Jasprit Bumrah’s workload continues to divide opinion. Against a batting line-up in this form, India can afford no more missteps.
For the neutrals, though, the story is simpler: Shai Hope is producing a tour for the ages, and one more hundred would seal a series triumph few would have predicted when the teams arrived in Lucknow.