West Indies leveled the five-match T20I series at 2-2 on Wednesday after Shai Hope scored an unbeaten 102 and Keemo Paul claimed five wickets to defeat India by 24 runs in Hyderabad, setting up a series decider in Bengaluru.
The fourth T20 International saw West Indies post a commanding total of 247/3 after India won the toss and opted to bowl in Hyderabad on October 14, 2026. The visitors capitalized on a batting-friendly surface before their bowling attack successfully defended the target under lights.
Shai Hope’s Record Century and West Indies’ Batting Surge
Shai Hope anchored the innings with a brilliant 102 not out off 50 balls, hitting nine sixes and four fours to claim his third T20 century, the most by any West Indies batter in the format. As noted by The Times of India, Shimron Hetmyer chipped in with 33 off 12 deliveries, while Sherfane Rutherford remained unbeaten on 49 off 26 balls. His performance also marked his fourth hundred in seven innings across ODIs and T20s on the current tour.
🏏 West Indies defeated India by 24 runs in the fourth T20 International in Hyderabad, levelling the five-match series 2-2.Chasing 248, India managed 223/9 in 19.3 overs, with Sanju Samson scoring 56 and Tilak Varma contributing 43. Keemo Paul claimed five wickets for West… pic.twitter.com/fGGoCMHgV1
Hope combined with Jewel Andrew for 52 runs in the opening overs before putting on 58 with Shimron Hetmyer. Sherfane Rutherford added an unbeaten 49 off 26 deliveries, featuring four fours and three sixes. The pair added 91 runs off just 43 balls, pushing the team past the 200-run mark.
Keemo Paul and the Bowling Strategy That Restrained India
Defending 247 required disciplined execution against an aggressive Indian batting lineup. Sanju Samson gave India a rapid start with 56 off 23 balls, while Abhishek Sharma contributed 29. However, Keemo Paul dismantled the chase with figures of 5-41, his second five-wicket haul in T20s, while The Times of India notes he is a 28-year-old pacer who relied on detailed team meetings to settle on field settings and individual plans.
Paul explained that the bowling unit adapted to the pitch conditions as the game progressed. Paul said in the post-match press conference, adding via icc-cricket.com that all the guys, we back our skills and we feel we could beat any team on our day.
The game plan was to keep bowling into the wicket for as long as possible and execute our yorkers when we knew they were going for the big shots.
Keemo Paul, West Indies pacer
Paul also noted that the absence of dew in Hyderabad allowed bowlers to maintain a firm grip on the ball during the second innings, contrasting with earlier matches in the series where defending totals proved difficult.
India’s Chase Falls Short Despite Late Resistance
India lost momentum after the dismissal of Samson and Ishan Kishan in quick succession during the fifth over. India captain Shreyas Iyer fell before the halfway mark, leaving the team struggling at 97-3 and ultimately falling short at 223 in 19.3 overs, with icc-cricket.com observing that Prince Yadav was the only Indian pacer to concede less than 10 runs per over.
Tilak Varma fought back with 43 off 25 balls, and Nitish Kumar Reddy contributed 41 off 20, but Paul claimed three wickets in the 19th over—dismissing Nitish Kumar Reddy and Prince Yadav off successive deliveries before removing Axar Patel, as reported by The Times of India—to seal the win.
We were unfortunate we couldn’t execute our plans in bowling and that’s where we fell a bit short.
Shreyas Iyer, India captain
With the series tied at 2-2, Bengaluru will host the deciding fifth T20I on Saturday.