Shai Hope’s ton, Keemo Paul’s five-for give West Indies series lead in T20s
Shai Hope’s century and Keemo Paul’s five-wicket haul carried West Indies to a 24-run win over India in the fourth T20I in Hyderabad on Sunday, snapping a two-match losing streak and setting up a series-deciding fifth T20. The result leaves Shreyas Iyer’s side, who had the series on a silver platter after a high-scoring win in the previous game, needing Saturday’s final match at a neutral venue — the sources do not name it — to complete a 3-0 sweep of the five-game set.
India vs West Indies has produced runs at a frantic clip this tour. The second T20I in the series produced 501 runs, with Hope and Sherfane Rutherford leading the West Indies charge to their highest successful run chase in T20 internationals. That win levelled the series 1-1 and renewed the debate around short boundaries and flat decks, per match coverage. India bounced back at home, then dropped this fourth match by 24 runs despite the home side’s dominant form going in.
- Shai Hope's century and Keemo Paul's five-wicket haul produced a 24-run West Indies win in the fourth T20I in Hyderabad, setting up a series decider.
- The second T20I produced 501 runs, with Sherfane Rutherford and Shai Hope leading the West Indies' highest successful T20I run chase.
- India, led by Shreyas Iyer, had the series on the brink before Sunday's loss; the fifth T20 decides the winner of the five-match set.
- The fifth T20 is scheduled for Saturday with free live telecast and streaming available in India.
- West Indies completed their 2025-27 WTC cycle with a Sylhet draw and remain eighth in the points table, while captain Kraigg Brathwaite credited improved spin play for the Bangladesh Test series win.
Rutherford and Hope: the pair unsettling Indian bowling
Sherfane Rutherford was the destructive opener in that 501-run second T20, and Hope has been the consistent one. In the fourth match, Hope’s century anchored the West Indies innings while Paul’s five-for — a haul that put the visitors on top early — ensured India’s chase stalled short. The sources give no ball-by-ball detail, but the margin and the wickets confirm Paul turned the match. India’s bowlers had no answer in the second match when Rutherford and Hope put on the West Indies’ highest successful T20I chase.
What the fifth T20 means for Shreyas Iyer’s men
India, led by Shreyas Iyer, had the chance to seal the series in Hyderabad. A win had left them one result away from a 3-0 sweep of the five-match set. Instead, with the series now heading to a decider, West Indies will be aiming to level the contest and force a winner-takes-all finale — the same position India found themselves in after the third T20 in Indore, per preview coverage. The fifth T20’s broadcasting details are listed separately by NDTV Sports for fans in India watching for free.
Where to watch the India vs West Indies decider
The fifth and final T20 of the series is set for Saturday, with live telecast and streaming available for free in India. The Indian Express has published the full online streaming details for fans watching from home. This follows the pattern from the third T20 in Indore and the fourth in Hyderabad, both of which the Indian Express covered with streaming information for viewers in India. No kick-off time is named in the sources.
West Indies’ Test future: a separate bright spot
While the T20s have grabbed the headlines, the West Indies also completed their 2025-27 World Test Championship cycle with a draw in Sylhet against Bangladesh. The draw kept them eighth on the WTC points table, per AP7AM’s coverage. Captain Kraigg Brathwaite has also credited the team’s improved play against spin for the Test series triumph in Bangladesh, and for their confidence in limited-overs cricket — including the form Hope and Rutherford have shown against India. ICC coverage frames the Test future as bright for the visitors.
With the series level at 2-2, Saturday’s fifth T20 decides who lifts the rubber. India want the sweep Iyer’s men came within one win of. West Indies want the series-equalling triumph that sets up a decider on their terms.
Based on reports from
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