The fifth and final India vs West Indies T20I in Bengaluru was washed out due to persistent rain. The series ended 2-2. The no-result also ended India’s 12-series winning streak at home. That run had lasted four years.
The M Chinnaswamy Stadium has excellent drainage. So the match started soon after the rain stopped and was reduced to a nine-over contest. The West Indies won the toss and chose to bowl first. But only 7.4 overs of play were possible.
If the rain had stopped and allowed a five-over chase, the West Indies would have needed 84 runs. More importantly, Bhuvneshwar Kumar would have bowled for India for the first time since 2022. He might have been allowed two overs. But that did not happen.
Bhuvneshwar was still on the flight to New Zealand the next morning. India play the first of five T20Is there on Thursday.
West Indies had a remarkable limited-overs tour of India. Even though they lost the ODI series 2-1, they chased down 350 in the only ODI where they batted second. And in the T20I series, they pushed India all the way to a 2-2 draw.
Five Things We Learned from the India vs West Indies Series
1. Shai Hope was the best player on either side
Hope was the difference in every format. He was Player of the Series in the T20Is. He also hurt India badly in the ODIs. In the three ODIs, he scored 278 runs. That included a huge unbeaten 162 that helped the West Indies chase down a record target. He carried that form into the T20Is. He was the top run-scorer with 261 runs in four innings. His strike rate was over 190. He made two centuries and one fifty. India captain Shreyas Iyer admitted Hope was hard to stop. He said Hope kept cruising through the series.
2. India’s death bowling and fifth bowler were weak
The T20Is showed clear problems in India’s bowling. They did not have a reliable fifth bowler. They also lacked a specialist death bowler. In the second T20I, Nitish Kumar Reddy gave away 39 runs. Part-timer Naman Dhir went for 19 in his only over. That let the West Indies keep scoring in the middle overs. In the fourth T20I, Mayank Yadav and Arshdeep Singh each conceded 52 runs from four overs. India lost both of those matches. The same issue appeared in the ODIs. India lost one game even after scoring 351. Captain Shubman Gill said death bowling needs work.
3. The series was all about big hitting
This was not a series for bowlers. It was a festival of boundaries. The first four T20Is produced 98 sixes. That is a new world record for a bilateral T20I series. Teams scored over 220 many times. In the second T20I, the West Indies chased down 250. In the fourth, they made 247. Batters like Sanju Samson (56 off 23) and Abhishek Sharma (69 off 30) played amazing innings. The hitting was relentless.
4. India’s middle order could not convert starts
India’s top order often gave fast starts. But the middle order could not turn those starts into match-winning totals. In the fourth T20I, India were chasing 248 and looked in control. Then they lost a bunch of wickets. Tilak Varma made 43 off 25 but got out at a key time. Wicketkeeper Sanju Samson called that the turning point. Sunil Gavaskar criticised the batting. He said Abhishek Sharma played a poor knock. He also said after Samson’s fast start, the other batters did not take advantage.
5. India are still looking for bowlers to support Jasprit Bumrah
This series was a chance for India’s younger fast bowlers to prove themselves. Jasprit Bumrah was rested for both ODIs and T20Is. The results were mixed. In the ODIs, India tried many combinations. They gave debuts to Auqib Nabi and Anshul Kamboj. They also brought back Mohammed Siraj. But no one locked down a spot.
Wisden said the series did not answer who India’s pace attack will be for the 2027 World Cup. In the T20Is, the senior pacers were expensive. But there were some good signs. Arshdeep Singh took 3 for 44 in India’s win in Indore. Mayank Yadav bowled very fast, often above 145 km/h. He needs more control, but he is exciting.
FAQs
Q. What was the final result of the India vs West Indies T20I series?
A. The series ended in a 2-2 draw after the fifth match was washed out by rain.
Q. Who was the standout player in the India vs West Indies series?
A. Shai Hope was the standout player, scoring 261 runs in the T20Is and 278 runs in the ODIs.
Q. What were India’s biggest bowling problems in the series?
A. India struggled with death bowling and finding a reliable fifth bowling option.
Q. How many sixes were hit in the first four T20Is?
A. The first four T20Is produced 98 sixes, setting a record for a bilateral T20I series.
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