Romario Shepherd’s 13-Ball Blitz Seals Record 250 Chase as West Indies Stun India

Chasing 250 in a T20 international is not supposed to happen. On Friday night in Ranchi, West Indies did it anyway — and it was Romario Shepherd who applied the final hammer blows. His unbeaten 34 off just 13 balls sealed a six-wicket win over India and the second-highest successful run chase in men’s T20I history.

Match at a Glance: 2nd T20I, India vs West Indies

Shepherd’s 13-Ball Blitz: How the Finish Looked

The groundwork had been laid by others — nobody is pretending otherwise. Captain Shai Hope carried his bat for a magnificent 102 not out off 45 balls, and Sherfane Rutherford torched 84 off 37 in a 120-run partnership that dragged West Indies back into a contest that looked dead at 9 for 2. But chases like this are won and lost in the last three overs, and that is where Romario Shepherd stepped in.

Shepherd walked out with the asking rate still hovering around 13 an over and simply refused to let it matter. He and Hope plundered 24 runs off Kuldeep Yadav’s 17th over, and then Shepherd took 17 more off Arshdeep Singh in the 18th — suddenly 10 were needed from 12 balls, and the Indian camp had the look of a team that knew it was over. His final numbers: 34 not out off 13 balls, with 3 fours and 3 sixes, at a strike rate of 261.54.

It was the finishing touch on a team performance that will be talked about for years, and the reason the name trending across Pakistan tonight is Romario Shepherd.

Full Scorecard: West Indies 252/4 Chase Down 250

Earlier, India had posted what looked like a match-winning total. Sanju Samson smashed 82 off 41 balls, Ishan Kishan added 43 off 22, captain Shreyas Iyer chipped in with 40 off 18, and Tilak Varma finished unbeaten on 44 off 18 to lift India to 249 for 5. Roston Chase was the pick of the West Indies bowlers with 3 for 24.

India’s reply with the ball started perfectly — Mayank Yadav dismissed Kamil Pooran and Shimron Hetmyer off consecutive deliveries in the very first over, leaving West Indies reeling at 9 for 2, and later removed Powell for 24. But after that, the Indian attack had no answers: Axar Patel went for 63 in 3.3 overs, Kuldeep Yadav for 53 in 4, and Arshdeep Singh for 45 in 4.

Why This Chase Was So Special

Context matters. A target of 250 in T20 cricket is, historically, a death sentence. Before Friday night, it had been successfully hunted exactly once — South Africa’s famous 259 chase in Centurion three years ago. Teams defending 250 win the overwhelming majority of the time, because the margin for error is basically zero: one quiet over, one cluster of wickets, and the required rate climbs past the point of no return.

West Indies had neither quiet overs nor clusters of wickets after the early chaos. Hope’s century — his second in T20Is, and the second-fastest by a West Indian — came at a strike rate most openers would envy in a powerplay, sustained across 45 balls. Rutherford’s assault was arguably even more violent: 84 off 37 with seven fours and seven sixes, including a 23-run over off Axar Patel that broke the back of the middle overs.

And then there was Shepherd. Thirteen balls. Thirty-four runs. Game over with nine balls to spare. That is the definition of a finisher’s innings — and it is why his name, not just the team’s, is the one lighting up search trends.

What It Means for the Series

The five-match series is now level at 1-1 after India’s comfortable eight-wicket win in the Lucknow opener. Momentum, though, has swung hard toward the visitors. Chasing 250 against India, in India, does something to a dressing room — it removes the fear entirely.

The action now moves to the Holkar Stadium in Indore for the third T20I on Sunday, October 11. India’s bowlers will need answers to a power-hitting lineup that has just proved no total is safe. And West Indies will know that whenever the finish gets tight, they have a man in Romario Shepherd who has done it on the biggest stage.

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