IND vs WI 2026: Keemo Paul Enters History Books as West Indies Beat India by 24 Runs to Level T20I Series 2-2
West Indies beat India by 24 runs in Hyderabad to level the T20I series 2-2, with Shai Hope's century and Keemo Paul's five wickets.
West Indies defeated India by 24 runs in the fourth T20I at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad. The visitors levelled the five-match series 2-2 after Shai Hope’s century and Keemo Paul’s five-wicket haul helped them secure the win.
West Indies posted 247 runs on the board, powered by a century from Shai Hope. India faced a challenging target of 248 but made a flying start to the chase, reaching 60 without loss in just four overs.
Sanju Samson led India’s early charge with 56 runs off 23 balls. However, West Indies fought back to put pressure on the hosts and picked up wickets at regular intervals.
India’s hopes stayed alive through a 70-run partnership between Tilak Varma and Nitish Kumar Reddy for the sixth wicket. The pair added the runs off just 32 balls, but Tilak’s dismissal left India needing 43 runs from the final 12 balls.
Keemo Paul then turned the match in West Indies’ favour with a brilliant bowling display. He finished with figures of 5/41, taking two wickets in his first over before claiming three wickets in the space of four balls during the penultimate over.
Paul’s figures are the second-best bowling figures by a bowler against India in men’s T20Is. Obed McCoy holds the record with 6/17 against India in Basseterre in 2022. Paul also became the first West Indies bowler to claim two five-wicket hauls in men’s T20Is.
The match also saw a controversial stumping involving Naman Dhir. Shai Hope completed the stumping, but the umpire took nearly five minutes to deliver the verdict. India also suffered an injury setback when Arshdeep Singh retired out after picking up an injury during the game.
Another moment came when Mayank Yadav dropped a catch offered by Sherfane Rutherford, giving West Indies a chance to benefit from the missed opportunity.
With the victory, West Indies brought the series level at 2-2 and set up a decider in Bengaluru. Both teams will now fight to win the fifth T20I and claim the five-match series.
