India and West Indies played a high-scoring 2nd T20I at the JSCA International Stadium Complex in Ranchi on October 9, 2026. India batted first and scored 249 for 5 wickets. West Indies chased down the target, winning by 6 wickets with 9 balls remaining and scoring 252 for 4 in 18.3 overs. The series was levelled 1-1 after the match.
Head coach Gautam Gambhir expressed concern about the balance between batting and bowling in the contest. The match saw West Indies score 20 sixes and 21 fours, accumulating 204 runs through boundaries. The aggregate runs across both innings exceeded 500 in the match.
“You don’t want a good bat-and-ball competition? What you want to see, that’s also what we want to see. We also want to see an even contest,” Gambhir said in the post-match press conference.
“These bowlers are our bowlers, not someone else’s bowlers. Their careers are at stake, they have worked hard to sit in this dressing room. If it’s an even competition, we’ll see a better game of cricket,” Gambhir said.
The India head coach backed fast bowler Mayank Yadav‘s approach of bowling at full pace throughout his spell, highlighting the importance of bowlers executing their natural strengths.
Mayank Yadav took 3 for 36 in three overs, regularly clocking 145kph and reaching a peak of 149.5kph. His performance was one of the few bright spots for India’s bowling attack on a flat Ranchi pitch where West Indies’ batters dominated.
“He is a fast bowler, he should bowl like a fast bowler. He isn’t a slow bowler. If you can bowl 150 kph, bowl at 150 kph, if you bowl at 120 kph, bowl at 120 kph. When you are playing as a fast bowler, it is your responsibility to bowl fast. And he did that today, getting success,” Gambhir said.
The series is all square at 1-1. The third T20I in the five-match series is set to be played at the Holkar Stadium in Indore on Sunday, October 11.
