Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin believes the West Indies have achieved more on their ongoing tour of India than they have in several years. His comments came after the visitors registered a remarkable six-wicket victory in the second T20I in Ranchi on Friday, October 9. Chasing a daunting target of 250, West Indies captain Shai Hope produced a match-winning performance, smashing an unbeaten 102 off just 45 deliveries. His innings featured six fours and nine sixes.

Sherfane Rutherford provided equally destructive support, scoring 84 off 37 balls with seven fours and seven sixes. The visitors completed the chase with nine balls to spare, levelling the five-match T20I series at 1-1 with three matches remaining.

West Indies had also put up a competitive fight during the preceding ODI series, which India won 2-1. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ash ki Baat, Ravichandran Ashwin highlighted the team’s achievements despite having a relatively inexperienced squad compared with previous West Indies sides featuring established stars such as Nicholas Pooran and Kieron Pollard. “In my books, the West Indies have already accomplished more on this tour than they have in many years, especially considering that this is a team that lacks experience,” Ashwin said.

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Ashwin also praised Hope for his unbeaten century, which earned him the Player of the Match award. The knock was Hope’s second century in T20I cricket and could help strengthen his reputation in the shortest format.

The former India spinner believes the performance could prove to be a defining moment in Hope’s career, potentially opening the door to more opportunities in the Indian Premier League.

“Shai Hope has not performed much in T20 cricket. He has had one or two stints in the IPL, but I think this could be a make-or-break moment for him. If he gets a similar role in an IPL team, Shai Hope could also be a fabulous player in the IPL,” Ravichandran Ashwin added.

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Hope has previously played nine IPL matches, all for Delhi Capitals in 2024. He scored 183 runs at an average of 22.87 and a strike rate of 150.00. Ashwin also expressed concern about the West Indies’ potential to trouble India further in the series. He suggested that if the visitors can improve their bowling performance in even one match, their powerful batting lineup could compensate for their weaknesses.

“I hope the West Indies do not win too many tosses,” Ravichandran Ashwin said, highlighting the importance of the toss and bowling conditions ahead of the remaining fixtures. India and West Indies will meet in the third T20I at Holkar Stadium in Indore on Sunday, October 11, with both teams looking to take the series lead.