A night for the history books
470 runs. 24 runs the difference. A century, a five-for, a series-leaving decider. If you stayed up for the fourth T20I in Hyderabad on October 14, 2026, you watched one of the great nights of this West Indies tour of India — and a reminder that in T20 cricket, 247 on the board is still never quite safe until the last wicket falls.
West Indies 247 for 3 (Shai Hope 102 not out off 50, Sherfane Rutherford 49 not out off 26, Shimron Hetmyer 33 off 12; Prince Yadav 1-36) beat India 223 (Sanju Samson 56 off 23, Tilak Varma 43 off 25, Nitish Kumar Reddy 41 off 20; Keemo Paul 5-41, Gudakesh Motie 2-13) by 24 runs at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. The series is level 2-2. The decider is in Bengaluru on October 17 — and after tonight, I honestly cannot call it.
Shai Hope — the best batter on either side, and it is not close
I keep running out of ways to describe this man's tour. Tonight's hundred was his second of the series and his fourth century across formats on this tour of India — nine sixes, four fours, 50 balls, finished with a six off the very last delivery. Hope has now stayed unbeaten three times on this tour. West Indies have won all three of those matches. That is not a coincidence; it is the whole story of this series compressed into one stat.
What struck me most was the pacing. He lost Hetmyer (a 12-ball 33), Powell (24 off 17), Andrew (21 off 16) around him, and never once played a panic shot. The unbroken 91-run stand with Rutherford off 43 balls was the partnership that took the game from "big total" to "historic chase territory." West Indies' previous best on this tour felt like chaos; tonight they looked like the settled, ruthless batting unit they were always supposed to be.
India's chase: the Samson blitz and the collapse
For three overs, I genuinely thought India were going to do the impossible. 50 for 0 in three overs — Sanju Samson was in one of those moods, racing to a 20-ball fifty and finishing with 56 off 23. At that point the required rate looked almost manageable. Then came the moment that decided the match.
Keemo Paul's return spell was the best piece of T20 bowling on this tour: 5 for 41, and crucially three wickets in the 19th over to snap the chase in half. Gudakesh Motie backed him up with a double-wicket over (2-13), and Shamar Springer's 18th over — just five runs — quietly tightened the noose when India needed it loosest. Nitish Kumar Reddy (41 off 20) and Tilak Varma (43 off 25) added 70 off 32 balls to keep it alive, but once Tilak fell, the tail folded fast. India were bowled out for 223 in 19.3 overs — and the ending was ugly: Arshdeep Singh took a blow to his right shoulder off Shamar Joseph in the final over and had to retire hurt.
My analysis: why West Indies won this one
Two words: discipline under fire. For the first time in this series, West Indies took every catch, bowled 12 consecutive overs going for 13 or under after Samson's early assault, and defended a total — their first successful defence of the tour. The dryness of the relaid Hyderabad surface suited their "hit the pitch hard" bowlers, and the big square boundaries swallowed India's late hitting.
India, meanwhile, have a bowling problem that the decider cannot hide. Mayank Yadav went wicketless and expensive again, the death bowling leaked, and the chase died the moment the middle order had to do it without Samson at full throttle. If I am Shreyas Iyer, I am asking serious questions about the fifth-bowler plan before Bengaluru.
Prediction for the decider: West Indies' momentum is real, but Bengaluru's Chinnaswamy is a different animal — small boundaries, high pressure, and India have won big knockout-feel games there before. I am calling it India by a hair — but only because home sides learn fast from nights like tonight.
Frequently asked questions
Who won the IND vs WI 4th T20I 2026?
West Indies beat India by 24 runs in Hyderabad on October 14, 2026, levelling the five-match series 2-2.
What was Shai Hope's score in the 4th T20I?
Shai Hope scored 102 not out off 50 balls with nine sixes and four fours — his second century of the series — and was named Player of the Match.
What were Keemo Paul's figures in the 4th T20I?
Keemo Paul took 5 for 41, including three wickets in the 19th over, to break India's 248-run chase.
When is the IND vs WI 5th T20I series decider?
The fifth and final T20I will be played on October 17, 2026 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
Sources
- ESPNcricinfo match report: Hope ton, Paul five-for help West Indies level series 2-2
- Reuters: Hope ton powers Windies to series-levelling win over India
- IANS/Statesman brief scores (cross-checked against ESPNcricinfo scorecard)
Read more on Sixer Zone
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