West Indies skipper Shai Hope opted to bowl against India in the rain-truncated fifth and deciding T20 in Bengaluru on Saturday (October 17, 2026).

The match has been reduced to nine overs per side after two hours were lost to rain and a wet outfield.

West Indies named an unchanged side from the fourth T20, while India made two changes, bringing in Shivam Dube and Bhuvneshwar Kumar in place of Nitish Kumar Reddy and Mayank Yadav.

Teams:

India: Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (w), Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer (c), Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Naman Dhir, Axar Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Prince Yadav, Arshdeep Singh.

West Indies: Shai Hope (w/c), Jewel Andrew, Shimron Hetmyer, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd, Roston Chase, Keemo Paul, Shamar Springer, Gudakesh Motie, Shamar Joseph.

Sanju Samson single-handedly took over the PowerPlay as India stared at a daunting 248-run chase against the West Indies here.

He raced to a 20-ball half-century and looked primed to repeat the heroics at this venue from two years ago, when his century saw India fall just three short of the 300-run mark. But West Indies’ disciplined bowling did the job after Shai Hope’s unbeaten ton laid the foundation for the 24-run win at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium.

After a string of dismissals left India in troubled waters, a resurgence from local boys Tilak Varma and Nitish Kumar gave the home team hope before things eventually fell apart. “When Tilak and Nitish were batting, we were still in the game. That is a great thing to have even after losing five wickets… having that kind of control, two young cricketers taking on the pressure and taking on the West Indian bowling line-up,” Samson said after the fourth T20I.

The India opener rued that his own enterprising knock did not come in a winning cause. “I am actually a bit gutted. I definitely wanted to be on the winning side. When you are chasing a score like that, there are no second thoughts — you just have to back your instincts, power game, and that is what I did. So I really enjoyed the knock, but I would have liked to be on the winning side.”

While he felt stiff chases often render anchors obsolete, Samson lauded Hope for going against the grain and marshalling the Windies with big scores. “Hope is playing really well. We need to respect what he has been doing. He has been playing some really good cricketing shots, not taking that much risk, so he is respecting the bowlers as well.”

Not everyone can bowl fast. Not everyone who can bowl fast bowls fast all the time.

Is that a good thing? India head coach Gautam Gambhir is of the opinion that speedsters who have been given the gift of pace should let it rip.

Mayank Yadav is part of the ilk that can bowl fast, very fast. In the series opener against the West Indies, the 24-year-old experimented too much with his pace. His slower deliveries, which lacked deception, were found out and feasted on by the powerful West Indians.

The fast bowler turned out to be a fast learner. He quickly understood he should be quick, and quick he was come the second T20I.

He took three wickets at the JSCA Stadium, all of them high-paced, high-quality deliveries. While Kamil Pooran mistimed a short ball straight up (143.6kph), Shimron Hetmyer (144.5) and Rovman Powell (149.5) lost their stumps before they could react to Mayank’s thunderbolt.

The Ranchi crowd erupting in perfect lockstep with Mayank’s leap as Powell’s off-stump went cartwheeling was a sight to behold.

“He is a fast bowler, and he should bowl like one. If you are capable of bowling at 150, then do that. If you are someone who bowls 120, then bowl at that pace. When you are a fast bowler, it is your responsibility to bowl fast. That’s what Mayank did, and that’s why he was successful,” Gambhir said on Friday (October 9, 2026).

Mayank’s efforts, though, went in vain as India lost by six wickets, partly because of a catch he dropped.

“This is cricket. People have dropped catches in the past, and people will drop catches in the future,” Gambhir added.

Whether it be his fielding or his primary art of pace bowling, Mayank still has a long way to go.

But as Gambhir suggests, his path forward is clear: keep it simple, and keep it fast.

All-rounder Naman Dhir had a dream debut, picking up three wickets with his off-spin to help India bowl out West Indies for 171 in the first T20 International of the five-match series in Lucknow on Tuesday (October 6, 2026).

Dhir finished with impressive figures of 3/31, while Kuldeep Yadav also scalped 2 for 33 to help India restrict West Indies to a manageable total.

Sent into bat, West Indies skipper Shai Hope started the innings in a flurry, smacking Mayank Yadav for four boundaries in the second over to set the tone.

The four boundaries forced skipper Shreyas Iyer to replace Mayank with Axar Patel in third over.

Arshdeep got the first breakthrough for India, cleaning up Kamil Pooran with a pitch-up delivery.

West Indies were dealt another blow in the sixth over when Shimron Hetmyer was run out while going for an unnecessary single.

It turned out to be double blow for the West Indies as Axar cleaned up Rovman Powell in the sixth over with a pitch-up delivery after the right-hander went for a huge heave over square-leg.

Sherfane Rutherford (56 off 34) gave the much needed impetus to West Indies’ innings with the left-hander hitting Kuldeep Yadav for two sixes in the ninth over and then smashing Axar for two boundaries and a six in the 11th over.

Hope, who played the second fiddle after Rutherford’s entry, departed in the 12th over after a nicely-crafted 52 off 37 balls. He was caught at deep midwicket by Axar off debutant Dhir’s bowling.

Kuldeep then trapped Roston Chase plumb in front of the wicket as West Indies slipped to 114 for 5 in 12.3 overs.

After being clobbered over deep square leg for a maximum by Romario Shepherd, Dhir came back strongly to pick up his man, caught at long-off boundary by Tilak Varma.

Ishan Kishan then took a brilliant catch at deep mid-wicket off the bowling of Kuldeep to sent Rutherford packing.

Dhir picked up his third wicket in the form of Shamar Springer, caught by Axar at boundary with a toss up delivery after he was hit for a six in the earlier ball.

Returning to the set-up after an injury lay-off, pacer Mayank looked ordinary as he was taken to task by the West Indies batters before getting a wicket in the penultimate over in the form of Rutherford, caught by Dhir at deep square leg.

Axar completed the formalities for India, dismissing up Akeal Hosein, caught by Ishan at long on boundary.