Shai Hope produced one of the most efficient T20I hundreds in West Indies history, powering a record-equalling chase against India in Ranchi. His unbeaten 102 off 45 balls not only helped level the five-match series 1-1, but also added multiple milestones to his growing white-ball record.
Hope’s innings defined a high-scoring chase
West Indies were tasked with chasing 250 at the JSCA International Stadium Complex on October 9, and they completed the job with nine balls to spare. The visitors finished on 252/4, making it one of the highest successful run chases in T20I history.
Hope’s strike rate was the defining metric of the innings. He scored his 102 at a strike rate of 226.66, with six fours and nine sixes, showing how quickly the chase stayed ahead of the required rate.
| Team | Target | Score | Result |
|---|
| India | 250 | — | Set the target |
| West Indies | 250 | 252/4 | Won with 9 balls remaining |
Second-fastest West Indies T20I century
Hope’s hundred came off just 45 balls, making it the second-fastest T20I century by a West Indies batter. Only Johnson Charles’ 39-ball effort against South Africa in Centurion in 2023 sits ahead of it in the West Indies record book.
For context, Hope now joins Chris Gayle and Evin Lewis on two T20I centuries each for West Indies. That places him among the most productive T20I centurions in the country’s history, with his latest ton arriving in a chase of exceptional magnitude.
| West Indies fastest T20I hundreds | Balls | Opponent | Venue | Year |
|---|
| Johnson Charles | 39 | South Africa | Centurion | 2023 |
| Shai Hope | 45 | India | Ranchi | 2026 |
| Chris Gayle | 47 | England | Mumbai | 2016 |
| Evin Lewis | 48 | India | Lauderhill | 2016 |
| Chris Gayle | 50 | South Africa | Johannesburg | 2007 |
Major Indian opposition records also fell
Hope also became only the second captain in T20I history to score a century against India. The first was Shane Watson, who made 124* off 71 balls in Sydney in 2016. That makes Hope’s innings a rare captaincy performance in a format where centuries are already uncommon.
He also recorded the fastest T20I century by a West Indies batter against India, improving on the benchmark previously associated with Evin Lewis. More broadly, Hope now shares the record for the joint-fastest T20I century against India by any batter, matching Jacob Bethell’s 45-ball hundred from the 2026 T20 World Cup semifinal in Mumbai.
Power hitting and chase metrics point to control
The innings contained nine sixes, the highest by any West Indies captain in a single T20I innings. That volume of boundary hitting mattered because it reduced pressure across the middle and death overs while keeping the required run rate under control.
From a chase perspective, the West Indies’ scoring pattern was unusually efficient. Chasing 250 requires sustained scoring above 12.50 per over, and finishing at 252/4 in 18.3 overs meant the side maintained well above that benchmark throughout the chase.
| Key batting metrics | Shai Hope vs India |
|---|
| Runs | 102* |
| Balls faced | 45 |
| Strike rate | 226.66 |
| Fours | 6 |
| Sixes | 9 |
What the result means for the series
The victory levelled the five-match series at 1-1, shifting momentum back to West Indies after India had taken the opening game. The third T20I in Indore now becomes an important reference point for both sides, especially with the batting template in Ranchi showing that the pitch can support elite run-scoring.
Historically, successful 250-plus chases remain rare in T20Is, and West Indies’ 252/4 now sits just below South Africa’s 259/4 against West Indies in Centurion in 2023, which remains the benchmark for the format. That comparison underlines how significant Hope’s innings was not only for one series, but also in the broader T20I record landscape.
For West Indies, the numbers from Ranchi were decisive: a 45-ball century, a chase of 250, nine sixes, and a series reset. For Hope personally, it was a performance that strengthened his place among the format’s most efficient West Indies batters.