India and West Indies will meet in the fifth and final T20 International on Saturday, October 17, with the five-match series level at 2–2. The match at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium begins at 7 pm IST, and the winner will take the series.
West Indies levelled the contest with a 24-run victory in Hyderabad. Captain Shai Hope scored an unbeaten 102 off 50 balls as the visitors posted 247 for three. It was his second century of the series. India were bowled out for 223, despite Sanju Samson’s 56 and useful contributions from Tilak Varma and Nitish Kumar Reddy. Keemo Paul took five wickets to lead the West Indies attack.
India have a concern ahead of the decider. Fast bowler Arshdeep Singh injured his bowling shoulder during the fourth match and has been ruled out of the final game. The BCCI has added experienced seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar to the squad.
Hope’s form will be a major challenge for India’s bowlers. The hosts will need to find a way to restrict him while keeping the West Indies’ powerful batting line-up under control.
With the series tied, Saturday’s match offers both teams a chance to finish the tour with a win.
