Shreyas Iyer credits West Indies batters for win in 2nd T20I chase
Synopsis
West Indies defeated India by six wickets in the second T20I, chasing down 250. Captain Shreyas Iyer credited the visitors' batting, led by Shai Hope's unbeaten century, while also praising Sanju Samson's knock of 82 for India.
India captain Shreyas Iyer credited West Indies batters for their performance after the visitors chased down a target of 250 runs to beat India by six wickets in the second T20I at the JSCA International Stadium in Ranchi on Friday. After India posted 249/5 in 20 overs, powered by Sanju Samson’s 82 off 41 balls and contributions from Ishan Kishan (43), Shreyas Iyer (40) and Tilak Varma (44), West Indies captain Shai Hope (102* off 45 balls) led the chase alongside Sherfane Rutherford, who scored 84 off 37 balls, and Romario Shepherd, who remained unbeaten on 34 off 13 deliveries. The visitors reached 252/4 in 18.3 overs to level the five-match series 1-1.
Iyer Credits West Indies Batting
Speaking after the match, Shreyas Iyer said the dew factor made it difficult to determine a safe total and left little margin for error. However, he credited West Indies for their batting performance and also praised Samson, Abhishek and Mayank Yadav for their contributions. “When the dew factor comes in, it plays a massive role. You cannot give a number. The margin of error on this wicket was very minor. Any minor error was going into the stands. Few missed chances, but that is part of the game. But credit where due, they batted very well. [On Mayank and Samson] Both were phenomenal. This is what we look for in Sanju and Abhishek. Exceptional from them and also Mayank. Those three crucial wickets stabilised things for us,” he said.
Record Chase Amidst Bowling Woes
The victory gave West Indies their highest successful run chase in T20Is and marked the second-highest successful chase in the format, behind South Africa's pursuit of 259 against West Indies in Centurion in 2023. Notably, India’s bowlers struggled to contain the chase despite Mayank Yadav’s 3/36 in three overs. Kuldeep Yadav took 1/53 in four overs, Arshdeep Singh conceded 45 runs in four overs, and Axar Patel gave away 63 runs in 3.3 overs.