Stats: Highest Team Totals In India vs West Indies T20I Matches
IND vs WI: We are nearing the start of the 3-match T20I series between India and West Indies, to be played at Eden Garden, Kolkata from February 16th (Wednesday). Both these teams crashed out of the T20 World Cup 2021 in the group stages and would be looking to fix their drawbacks ahead of the T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia.
The Indian team had a forgettable T20 World Cup in 2021 as they lost for the first time against Pakistan in an ICC tournament. The two-time T20 World Champions West Indies also crashed out of the group stages in the 2021 T20 World Cup with 4 defeats in the 5 matches they played.
With the upcoming series India vs West Indies T20I series in light, let's have a look at the top 5 highest T20I team totals in India vs West Indies.
Highest T20I Team Totals In India vs West Indies:
#5. West Indies (207/5) and
#4. India (209/5) at Hyderabad, 2019
In the 1st T20I match at Hyderabad in 2019, West Indies posted a total of 207/5 in 20 overs. Shemron Hetmeyer scored a 41-ball-56 while Evin Lewis scored 40 runs off 17 balls, Brandon King with 31 off 23. Captain Kieron Pollard scored 37 runs off 19 balls and Jason Holder's unbeaten 24 off 9 took West Indies to a big total.
In the 2nd innings, however, then-Indian captain Virat Kohli played yet another impressive knock while chasing, scoring a not-out 94 runs in 50 balls with 6 fours and 6 sixes, and led the team to victory. KL Rahul also made a valuable contribution of 62 runs in 40 balls while opening the innings.
#3. India (240/3, Mumbai 2019)
In the 3rd T20I match of the 2019 series, India were put in to bat first by the West Indies team. However, the Indian team made the opposition regret their decision as Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul & Virat Kohli powered India to 240/4 in 20 overs. Sharma scored a thunderous 71 in 34 balls and his opening partner KL Rahul scored 91 runs in 56 balls. Later Virat Kohli finished off unbeaten at 70 runs in just 29 balls.
In reply, West Indies managed to score 173/8 in 20 overs, losing the match by 67 runs. Captain Kieron Pollard's 39-ball-68 and Hetmeyer's 41 runs in 24 balls were the only two significant batting efforts in the entire lineup.
#2. India (244/4) and
#1. West Indies (245/6) at Lauderhill 2016
The best of the high scoring T20 contest between these two teams was played at Lauderhill in 2016. In the 1st T20I match of the series, India won the toss and opted to field first. West Indies openers Johnson Charles (79 off 33 balls) and Evin Lewis (100 of 49) balls powered the hosts to a mammoth total of 245/6, which remains the highest T20I team total in India vs West Indies.
India, while chasing a near-impossible target, lost their #2 Ajinkya Rahane in the 3rd over, followed by Virat Kohli in the 5th over. However, Rohit Sharma (62(28)) and KL Rahul (110*(51)) etched an incredible partnership of 89 runs in 7.1 overs. India were 137/3 in 11.5 after losing Rohit Sharma. MS Dhoni came out to bat next and scored 43 off 25 balls, and India lost the match by just 1 run as captain MSD was dismissed catch out on the last bowl of the match.
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The 3-match T20I series between India and West Indies is set to start from February 16th, followed by the 2nd and 3rd T20I on February 18th and February 20th. All three matches are to be played at Eden Gardens, Kolkata