Sanju benificiary, Bhuvi left in resentment: India vs West Indies T20 series ends in draw

Bengaluru: Although the T20I series between India and West Indies could not produce a clear winner, Sanju Samson surely reaped the most rewards out of the five games to cement his place at the opening spot, denying room for any further discussions. The Malayali wicket keeper tallied 168 runs, including two half centuries at a strike rate 195.

The series ended in a 2-2 stalemate after the decisive fifth match was washed out due to rain. Officials initially curtailed the match to a nine-overs-a-side contest, but persistent showers ultimately forced play to be called off. Put in to bat after losing the toss, India had raced to 118 for 5 in 7.4 overs when the rain returned for good.

Rain forced a delay to the scheduled 7:00 PM start, with play finally getting underway around 9:15 PM. Put in to bat after losing the toss, India suffered an early blow when opener Abhishek Sharma fell, managing only six, was caught by Alzarri Joseph off the bowling of Keemo Paul.

Walking in at his dismissal, Ishan Kishan took the attack to the opposition right from the outset, blazing three fours and two sixes. Although he was eventually dismissed in Alzarri Joseph's third over, Kishan’s explosive cameo propelled India to 46 runs in the Powerplay.

Sanju Samson too played a stunner in his short stay, an upper cut off Shamar Joseph over point. With the score at 66, Sanju also departed scoring 16 off 7, bowled by Shamar Springer. Shreyas Iyer faced 14 deliveries in a bid to steady the innings, but his stay was cut short by Keemo Paul.

All-rounder Naman Dhir then joined Tilak Varma at the crease, propelling India past the 100-run mark in just 6.4 overs. Shortly after Tilak fell for seven, rain returned to halt play. At that stage, India was perched at 118 for 5 in 7.4 overs. With the downpour refusing to relent, the match was ultimately called off.

While Samson triumphed on the pitch, BCCI emerged clear winners off it, gaining lion share of revenue from the series. Cricket West Indies CEO Chris Dehring had previously criticised the revenue model for bilateral cricket that allows the host country to keep 100 per cent of the series earnings. Dehring said the model that was adopted in 1997, and it caused lasting damage to the game in the Caribbean islands. Dehring’s comments come in the context of the Board recently being forced to announce pay cuts and shorter contracts for its players due to financial crisis.

The series also contributed to the demise of both bowling units, with every game escalating to run-fest while bowlers consistently failed to take charge of the game. Meanwhile, veteran pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar who had finally returned to India’s playing XI after years on the sidelines, was left disappointed as he didn't get to bowl a single delivery.

His last appearance in Indian colours was against New Zealand back in November 2022, with India playing 104 T20 Internationals in the interim. This prolonged absence puts Bhuvneshwar level with Khaleel Ahmed for the record of the longest gap between two T20I appearances for the country.