ভারত vs ওয়েস্ট ইন্ডিজ — ম্যাচ সেন্টার

The inevitable has happened. The players are shaking hands.

Take a look at India's brief innings, though. Ishan Kishan set the powerplay ablaze with a blistering 30 off just 10 balls. Following his departure, the middle order struggled to find rhythm, but Naman Dhir turned the tide with a few mighty blows in his brief stay at the crease before rain brought the action to a halt.

The drizzle has gotten heavier and the umpires have called on for the covers. With every passing moment, the intensity of rain is increasing. That might be all about India's innings I reckon.

আউট! Shamar Springer to Tilak Varma, Bowled!!

Shamar Springer to Tilak Varma, Bowled!!

Shamar Springer to Tilak Varma, 2 runs, that's a fine stop by Keemo Paul at deep mid-wicket. Sprints across to his right and puts in a dive to flick the ball away. It was a low full toss that was flicked away by Tilak Varma

Naman Dhir's 16 is the joint-most scored by an India batter off the first three balls of his innings. Dinesh Karthik too, had gone 6, 4, 6 off Rubel Hossain in the Nidahas Trophy 2018 final at RPS Colombo

Shamar Springer to Tilak Varma, , attempted slower delivery outside off, but it's a wide ball

Shamar Springer to Naman Dhir, 1 run, full and quick on off, Naman Dhir chips it towards mid-off on the bounce

SIX! Shamar Springer to Naman Dhir, , Naman Dhir is batting like a dream at the moment. Has to be one of his finest knock in international cricket so far. This was pitched up by the bowler around off and Naman Dhir thumped it over long-off for another sublimely timed maximum

Keemo Paul to Tilak Varma, 2 runs, back of a length delivery around middle and leg, Tilak Varma loses his shape while going for a pull, miscues it towards mid-wicket as the fielder charges in from the deep. Doesn't carry, as there wasn't enough power of timing behind the shot

Keemo Paul to Naman Dhir, 1 run, full and quick on middle and leg, Naman Dhir flicks it towards deep mid-wicket for a single

SIX! Keemo Paul to Naman Dhir, , A good length delivery outside off, slight width on offer, Naman Dhir effortlessly lofts it over long-off for six more. That was middled to perfection, and was all about timing. Should have been promoted up the order in this rain curtailed contest

Keemo Paul to Naman Dhir, , under pressure he has fired a short and wide ball outside off, out of Naman Dhir's reach

FOUR! Keemo Paul to Naman Dhir, , Already 10 runs in 2 balls. This was slow, short and wide outside off, allows Naman Dhir to free his arms. He thumps it over mid-off, has enough elevation to clear the fielder as the ball races away to the boundary

SIX! Keemo Paul to Naman Dhir, , that's a first ball maximum for Naman Dhir! Looks like he was batting in the nets before walking in to bat. Picks the bones out of this back of a length delivery, whipping it over deep square leg for half-a-dozen. That came right off the meat of the bat

আউট! Keemo Paul to Shreyas Iyer, Caught by Shamar Joseph!! A rusty knock by Shreyas Iyer comes to an end. Wasn't quite in his elements tonight. This was banged in short by Keemo Paul and Shreyas Iyer went for a pull. Miscues it towards deep mid-wicket, and Shamar holds on to another safe catch. He took Abhishek's catch earlier, now takes Iyer's catch. Safe hands in the field. Probably a blessing in disguise for India as Shreyas wasn't able to kick on.

Keemo Paul to Shreyas Iyer, Caught!!

The drizzle is getting heavier, but they continue playing

Gudakesh Motie to Shreyas Iyer, 1 run, low full toss around middle and leg, Shreyas Iyer swings hard, only to get an inside edge towards short fine leg

Gudakesh Motie to Shreyas Iyer, , full and wide outside off, misses the tramline comfortably

It has started drizzling again

Gudakesh Motie to Tilak Varma, 1 run, heaved towards deep mid-wicket by Tilak Varma for a single

Gudakesh Motie to Shreyas Iyer, 3 runs, Shreyas Iyer goes for the aerial route by swinging across the line, and miscues it completely. Rutherford charges in from the deep and tries to grab it, but the ball hits him on the chest. An overthrow allows them to come back for the third run

FOUR! Gudakesh Motie to Shreyas Iyer,

FOUR! Gudakesh Motie to Shreyas Iyer, , finally connects one. Gudakesh Motie goes full and Shreyas Iyer smashes it over the bowler's head as the ball almost goes the distance`

Gudakesh Motie to Shreyas Iyer, , fired down the leg-side and that's a wide ball

Gudakesh Motie to Shreyas Iyer, no run, . He heaved across the line against this full length delivery, and couldn't middle it. Sets off for a single without knowing where the ball exactly is. Shai Hope is quick to move across and gather the ball. Iyer was way outside the crease, but Hope couldn't nail a direct-hit at his end. Would have been curtains for the Indian captain otherwise

Shamar Springer to Shreyas Iyer, 1 run

Shamar Springer to Tilak Varma, 1 run, full toss outside off, Tilak Varma swings hard, but fails to middle it, just a single at long-off

Shamar Springer to Tilak Varma, , banged in short by Shamar Springer outside off, sails over the batsman's head

Shamar Springer to Shreyas Iyer, 1 run, full and straight on middle and leg, Shreyas Iyer drives it along the carpet to long-on for a single

2 off 5, two dismissals

Shamar Springer to Shreyas Iyer, 2 runs, on a length around middle and leg, Shreyas Iyer heaves it towards deep mid-wicket for a couple of runs

Shamar Springer to Tilak Varma, 1 run, pitched up by the bowler around off, Tilak Varma gets off the mark with an off-drive towards wide long-off

\n2.5 overs vs WI, Bengaluru, 2026\n3 overs vs WI, Hyderabad, 2026\n3.1 overs vs NZ, Guwahati, 2026\n3.2 overs vs PAK, Nisshin, 2026\n3.3 overs vs AFG, Delhi, 2026

আউট! Shamar Springer to Sanju Samson, Bowled!! Knocked him over. Shamar Springer strikes on his first ball. On a length around off, it curves it slightly after the seam hits the deck, Sanju Samson stays put and swings across the line. Connects thin air though as the off pole goes for a toss. India are smashing boundaries at will, but Windies are striking back at regular intervals.

Shamar Springer to Sanju Samson, Bowled!!

Gudakesh Motie to Shreyas Iyer, 2 runs, another full toss by Gudakesh Motie, Shreyas Iyer shuffles back and across in the crease, dragging it through mid-wicket for a couple of runs. Comparatively better over for Windies - only 10 runs from it

Gudakesh Motie to Shreyas Iyer, no run, clever bowling by Gudakesh Motie. Fires a widish yorker outside off as Shreyas Iyer walks away to play it

Gudakesh Motie to Sanju Samson, 1 run, on the shorter side around middle and leg, Sanju Samson drags it towards deep mid-wicket for a single

FOUR! Gudakesh Motie to Sanju Samson, , juicy full toss outside off, almost at waist height, Sanju Samson throws the kitchen sink at it, slashing it over backward point for a boundary again

Gudakesh Motie to Shreyas Iyer, 1 run, tad short outside off, Shreyas Iyer slaps towards long-off for a single, couldn't middle it as he played it with hard hands

Gudakesh Motie to Shreyas Iyer, 2 runs

Shamar Joseph to Sanju Samson, , Hint of width outside off, fraction short, Sanju Samson hops a touch in the crease and carves it over deep backward point for a well connected six. Looked a stylish upper cut, very close to the six hit by Sachin against Akhtar in the 2003 World Cup

FOUR! Shamar Joseph to Sanju Samson, , Short and wide outside off, Sanju Samson throws the kitchen sink at it, smashing this short and wide ball over extra cover for a rollicking boundary. Even he joins the party. Was happy to watch Kishan take on the bowlers in the power play, it's now his time to take control

\n70 - Abhishek Sharma in 2026\n68 - Suryakumar Yadav in 2022\n55 - Ishan Kishan in 2026\n54 - Abhishek Sharma in 2025\n48 - Shimron Hetmyer in 2026

Shamar Joseph to Shreyas Iyer, 1 run, back of a length delivery around middle and leg, Shreyas Iyer nudges it towards mid-wicket for a single

আউট! Shamar Joseph to Ishan Kishan, Caught by Rovman Powell!! Ishan Kishan walks back after playing a fantastic cameo. Change of pace does the trick for him. Even the previous delivery was a slower one, which Kishan couldn't middle. This one was banged in short and it arrived slightly late, 125 clicks, Ishan Kishan loses his shape while going for the pull, and the top edge has been taken by Powell at mid-on.

Shamar Joseph to Ishan Kishan, Caught!!

Shamar Joseph to Ishan Kishan, 2 runs, 123 clicks outside off, a lot slower as compared to the previous ball, was on the shorter side and Ishan Kishan slashed it over point for a couple of runs

Shamar Joseph to Ishan Kishan, , 146.4kph, good effort and pace by the bowler, but it's a wide ball down the leg-side. Ishan Kishan tried to flick it away, couldn't make contact though

India and West Indies are the only teams with 2000-plus sixes in Men’s T20Is: West Indies (2026), India (2013 - until the end of the second over). New Zealand are next best with 1585.

FOUR! Shamar Joseph to Ishan Kishan, , quality shot. Back of a length delivery outside off, Ishan Kishan arches back in the crease and slices it over the cover region.

Romario Shepherd to Ishan Kishan, 1 run, Back of a length delivery around middle and leg, Ishan Kishan swipes it towards deep backward square leg for a single. He will be back on strike for the next over

FOUR! Romario Shepherd to Ishan Kishan, , pitched up by the bowler outside off, this one straightens off the deck

Romario Shepherd to Ishan Kishan, , tries to follow the batsman, but ends up bowling a wide ball down the leg-side

SIX! Romario Shepherd to Ishan Kishan, , No doubt he's the number 1 ranked T20I batsman. This shot is a prime example. Moves away slightly and although there wasn't room for offer, Kishan goes down on his knee and scoops it over fine leg. That has cleared the roof of the Chinnaswamy, new ball please!

FOUR! Romario Shepherd to Ishan Kishan,

Romario Shepherd to Ishan Kishan, 2 runs, to third man

SIX! Romario Shepherd to Ishan Kishan, , Romario Shepherd has been greeted with a maximum. Back of a length delivery around middle and leg, Ishan Kishan stays put and flicks it over fine leg for half-a-dozen. Beautifully played!

Keemo Paul to Ishan Kishan, 1 run, cramped for room around middle and leg, tad short as Ishan Kishan clips it in front of mid-wicket for a single

আউট! Keemo Paul to Abhishek Sharma, Caught by Shamar Joseph!! Keemo Paul has the last laugh. He strikes on the very next ball. Back of a length delivery around middle and leg, Abhishek Sharma looks to flick it away, but can't get enough elevation. Just a gentle leap by Shamar at mid-wicket and he grabs it above his head. Quite an eventful over so far. Wides, a six and a wicket already in it.

Keemo Paul to Abhishek Sharma, Caught!!

SIX! Keemo Paul to Abhishek Sharma, , first maximum of the evening. Pitched up by the bowler around middle and leg, hint of inswing, Abhishek Sharma stays put and flicks it over deep mid-wicket for a towering six. Failed to put away the free-hit, but makes amends on the very next ball

Keemo Paul to Abhishek Sharma, no run, banged in short outside off, steep bounce and Abhishek Sharma swings and misses

The players are making their way out in the middle. The West Indies players are gathered in a huddle, and now the Indian openers enter. With only 9 overs to play with, the Indian batsmen will come out all guns blazing. The pitch has been under covers, so some early movement will be available for the pacers. Let's see what's in store! Here we go..

(Playing XI): Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson(w), Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer(c), Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Naman Dhir, Axar Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Prince Yadav, Arshdeep Singh

(Playing XI): Shai Hope(w/c), Jewel Andrew, Shimron Hetmyer, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd, Roston Chase, Keemo Paul, Shamar Springer, Gudakesh Motie, Shamar Joseph

[On whether he would also have chosen to field first] Yeah, I would have fielded as well. [On the quick turnaround and the conditions after the rain] Yeah, it's a quick turnaround. Wasn't anticipating a game, honestly, looking at the rains. But yeah, the way the drainage system is over here, it's phenomenal. And talking about the wicket, it looks pretty good. [On India's approach in the series decider] Well, we just have to be aggressive in our approach and see to it that we are in top-notch attitude, not get pressed too much by the pressure, or, you know, they've been playing amazing cricket as well, but that doesn't mean that we are going to shrink. It's important that we put our best foot forward and see to it that we seize the game. [On West Indies being one of the best six-hitting sides in the world and the challenge that poses as captain] Absolutely. They've got an array of shots in different batsmen, and they've been playing solid cricket. They've been challenging in tough times, and obviously they've been playing power cricket. So we have all these things at the back of the mind, but at the same time we need to think about our strengths as well, the way we've been playing for the last couple of months, and it has been sensational. [On India's team combination and changes for the match] We've got .

[On the decision to bowl first and the conditions] Yeah, it does, but obviously rain around as well. Expected to get a little bit wetter. But yeah, it's a good pitch, and we just want to give ourselves the best chance of chasing. [On whether a shortened nine-over game suits their style of play] I feel like it does. If I say yes, you would say so. No, we tend to have a lot of batters, especially deep. But we've got to start with the ball. That's our main focus right now: make sure we execute as best as we can in a shortened game and give ourselves the best chance. [On the team's character in coming back from behind twice in the series] Yeah, for sure. There's a lot of positives that you can take from this tour in both areas, bat and ball. And I just think we just got to continue from in this vein and hopefully we can finish the series strong, but we can give ourselves an opportunity to do something very special in India. So guys are looking forward to it. Same team.

"Bhuvi, Bishnoi and Axar bowling in the side pitch under the close watch of Gambhir and Morne. Practice much less intense in West Indies camp; not everyone in the squad is yet out there. Motie bowling on the side wicket; Hope and Rovman knocking a few (balls). Prince Yadav too has marked the run-up while Mayank is bowling in the side nets," informs Deepu.

Right then, we are not far away from the toss..

"The surface itself has been under cover since we arrived at the ground until a couple of minutes ago, and with all the rain around in Bangalore and over the Chinnaswamy over the last few days, there's bound to be some moisture under the surface, but on top it looks good. It may seem to be a little bit slow. There might be some lateral movement. It's a 9-over game, and the powerplay constitutes 2.4 overs. So look, it's anyone's guess. I think with all the moisture in the outfield, teams might prefer to know what they want to chase in this very important final game of this five-match series," reads Ian Bishop.

Raghu makes his way out with the kit bag, and is followed by Bhuvneshwar Kumar and there's a loud cheer from the Chinnaswamy crowd on seeing him. Slowly the rest of the Indian players join in and they are starting their warm-ups. Abhishesk Sharma is standing behind the wicket and is visualising his batting before walking down the pitch along with Daren Sammy. .

"I'm told the match will be played on the central wicket, which should be pitch #7. First sight of the wicket and it does look dry. . Raghu, throwdown specialist, has a look at the wicket and runs back. No player from either team is out in the middle yet. Two super soppers in the outfield of which one is at work," informs Deepu.

Well, well! The ground staff are rushing onto the ground.

We started losing overs from . And the drizzle is not relenting. The update is the same - covers in place, no activity from the groundstaff and the wait continues..

[Your preparation for New Zealand?] To be very honest, with the way the schedule is structured these days, you don't get much time to practice or prepare. That's where your experience comes in. You try to stay in a good mental space and make the most of whatever time you get. We have just one day of batting practice. We'll reach there on the 20th, practice on the 21st, and play the match on the 22nd. So, we'll try to carry forward the good things we've done here. It takes a little time to adjust to the conditions there, so we'll take two or three balls to assess them. We'll follow the things we've learned through experience and play while respecting the conditions.

[Performing well in the World Cup, definitely gives you a lot of confidence. How do you carry that confidence forward?] It definitely gives you a lot of confidence. After that, you start understanding your own patterns. You focus on your process, reduce the outside noise, and figure out your own way of creating the best environment in your mind to go out there and perform. Sometimes you score runs, and sometimes you don't. So, I try to understand that, stay grounded, and continue playing fearless cricket. [When it keeps raining and the match doesn't start, what's going through your mind?] We're missing someone like you (Chahal) in the dressing room! Someone who can keep the atmosphere light. When it's raining, there's not much point in thinking too much about cricket at that moment. Bishnoi and Arshdeep are keeping themselves occupied, so you know how things go in the dressing room.