The West Indies delivered a dominant performance in Sunday's series finale, leaving the Men in Blue defeated. Thanks to an explosive 85* from Brandon King, the hosts cruised to an 8-wicket win and a 3-2 series victory. This triumph is a major achievement for the Windies, ending a 17-year drought for bilateral series wins against India. For India, the loss is particularly stinging as they hadn't lost a series in 25 months.
The West Indies handed Men in Blue a humiliating defeat in the series decider on Sunday. Brandon King’s explosive knock of unbeaten 85 powered the hosts to thrash India by 8 wickets and clinch the T20I series 3-2. With a dominating win, the Windies registered a historic bilateral series win over India in 17 years. India, on the other hand, lost a series for the first time in 25 months.
Choosing to bat first proved to be a mistake for Hardik Pandya, as Akeal Hosein immediately put India on the back foot by removing openers Yashasvi Jaiswal (5) and Shubman Gill (9) in back-to-back overs. A brief recovery followed with a 49-run partnership between Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma, but that hope was cut short when Roston Chase took Varma's wicket for 27.
While Suryakumar played a vital role as the anchor of the innings, the supporting cast failed to provide the necessary fireworks, with most wickets falling quickly. Sanju Samson, Hardik Pandya, and Axar Patel all contributed sparingly, scoring 13, 14, and 13 respectively. It was Suryakumar's impressive 61 that ensured India reached a respectable 165/9. The bowling effort was led by Romario Shepherd, who tore through the lineup with four wickets.
The West Indies began their pursuit of 166 with a setback when Arshdeep Singh claimed a wicket for 10 in the second over. However, Brandon King and Nicholas Pooran responded with a devastating 107-run stand that effectively killed off India's chances, peppering the boundary with sixes. Although Tilak Varma managed to get Pooran (47) out, the damage was already done. Shai Hope put the final touch on the victory, ending the game with a massive six to finish on 22*.