Indore finally had its night. After two games in which the chasing side called the shots, India flipped the script at the Holkar Stadium on Sunday, defending 223 to beat West Indies by 14 runs and take a 2-1 lead in the five-match T20I series. The win also marked the first time in this white-ball leg that a team batting first walked away with the points.
It was the kind of evening that will be replayed in highlights packages for weeks. Abhishek Sharma tore the powerplay apart, Arshdeep Singh struck at the death and in between, West Indies gave the packed crowd enough scares to keep the tension alive till the final over.
Abhishek’s blitz sets Indore alight
Asked to bat first after West Indies won the toss, India lost Sanju Samson early. That turned out to be the only bad news of the evening for the hosts in the early going. Abhishek Sharma, who had been waiting for one big innings this series, decided this was the night.
The left-hander raced to his fifty off just 18 balls, pulling, driving and lofting with the kind of clean timing that makes bowlers rethink their plans mid-over. He finished with 69 off 30 deliveries, an innings decorated with six fours and five sixes, and for a while it looked like India’s total might sail past 250.
Ishan Kishan played the perfect accomplice at the other end. The two put on 108 runs for the second wicket in just 40 balls, Kishan cracking 37 off 18 balls with six fours and a six of his own. At 115 for one after the halfway stage, the Caribbean attack looked short of answers on a pitch that played true early on.
The middle-order wobble nobody saw coming
Cricket, as the old line goes, can change in an over. Roston Chase provided the first twist, altering his length and luring Kishan down the track before Shai Hope whipped the bails off. Three balls later, Shreyas Iyer was trapped leg-before for one, and the same Chase finished with figures of 2 for 38.
Naman Dhir fell for 10, caught at long-off. Then came the moment that had everyone in the dugout covering their eyes. A Kamil Pooran stop at the ropes was judged not to have crossed the boundary, the two Indian batters hesitated mid-pitch, and Tilak Varma was run out for 28 after a horrible mix-up. Axar Patel soon followed him back after another breakdown in communication, falling for 20.
From 115 for one, India slipped to a position where 223, all out, felt like 20 runs short of par. Nitish Kumar Reddy’s 21 off 14 balls and some late hits from the lower order at least gave the bowlers something to work with. Shamar Springer, who returned 2 for 50, finished Abhishek’s stay with a slower ball that the batter miscued.
Arshdeep holds his nerve at the death
Chasing 224, West Indies lost their in-form captain Shai Hope cheaply to Arshdeep Singh and never quite found a rhythm. The left-arm quick’s early strike set the tone, and his return spell at the death sealed the deal. Arshdeep finished with 3 for 44 and was named player of the match, the kind of reward that tells you who kept his cool when it mattered.
Shimron Hetmyer threatened to spoil India’s night. Dropped on five by Abhishek at short third man, he cashed in with a fluent 43 that included a punishing assault on Arshdeep in the fourth over, which cost the pacer 19 runs. Kamil Pooran’s 42 also gave the visitors hope, and Shamar Springer’s unbeaten 35 off just 11 balls turned the final overs into a proper contest.
But the equation never fully tilted West Indies’ way. They were 33 runs behind India’s powerplay score at the same stage, and every time they found a gear, an Indian bowler found a slower ball or a yorker to pull them back. Naman Dhir chipped in with two wickets, and the visitors closed on 209 for seven, fourteen runs short.
What this result means for the series
- India lead the five-match series 2-1 with two games to play, putting the visitors in must-win territory for the remainder of the tour.
- Abhishek Sharma’s 18-ball fifty was his 14th T20I half-century, and he now looks firmly set as India’s first-choice opener heading into the business end of the series.
- The middle-order collapse, three run-outs and soft dismissals, will be a talking point in the Indian camp despite the win.
- West Indies’ power hitters showed they can hurt India, but their running between the wickets and shot selection under pressure let them down again.
Frequently asked questions
Who won the India vs West Indies 3rd T20I?
India won by 14 runs at the Holkar Stadium in Indore on October 11, 2026, defending 223 against West Indies’ 209 for seven.
Who was the player of the match in the Indore T20I?
Arshdeep Singh won the award for his match-defining spell of 3 for 44, including the key wicket of Shai Hope.
What is the series score after three T20Is?
India lead the five-match series 2-1 after the Indore victory.
How many runs did Abhishek Sharma score?
Abhishek Sharma smashed 69 off 30 balls, reaching his fifty in just 18 deliveries with six fours and five sixes.
Where is the next match of the series?
The series now moves to its final two games, with West Indies needing to win both to take the series.
Two matches, one series on the line, and a West Indies side that refuses to roll over. If Indore was anything to go by, the finale of this series is going to be worth staying up for.
