Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma announced their retirement from T20Is on the back of leading India to glory against South Africa.

Kohli, who had endured some indifferent form throughout the T20 World Cup, saved his best for last as he plundered 76 in India's seven-run win over the Proteas on Saturday.

Kohli has played 125 T20Is and is India's second-highest run-scorer in the format, with 4,188 to his name. Only Rohit (4,231 runs in 159 matches) can boast a higher total.

And the duo both confirmed after the match that they would be bowing out of the format.

"This was my last T20 World Cup and this is exactly what we wanted to achieve," Kohli said.

"This is an amazing game, I was telling Rohit today when we went out to bat that one day you feel like you can't get a run, and then you come out and things happen. God is great. I bow my head in gratitude.

"I'm really grateful I was able to get the job done for the team when it mattered the most.

"This is my last T20 game playing for India, my last World Cup I was going to play. I wanted to make the most of it. And this was our aim. We wanted to win an ICC tournament, we wanted to lift the cup. 

"This was an open secret, it was not something that I was not going to announce if we'd lost. This was going to be my last T20 World Cup playing for India, it's time for the next generation to take over.

"Two-year cycle, there are some amazing players playing in India, they're going to take the team forward in the T20 format, and do wonders as we've seen them do in the IPL. I've no doubts they'll keep the flag waving high, and really take this team further from here now."

Rohit, who was part of the India squad that won the T20 World Cup in 2007, followed up Kohli's announcement with his own retirement confirmation.

"This was my last [T20I] game as well," Rohit said.

"No better time to say goodbye to this format. I've loved every moment of this. I started my India career playing this format. This is what I wanted, I wanted to win the cup.

"I wanted this badly. Very hard to put in words. It was a very emotional moment for me. I was very desperate for this title in my life. Happy that we eventually crossed the line."

India ended their 17-year wait to win the T20 World Cup as they edged out South Africa by seven runs in a thrilling final in Barbados.

Saturday's match went right to the wire with South Africa requiring 16 runs from the final over, but Hardik Pandya clinched a hat-trick with the late dismissals of David Miller and Kagiso Rabada as the Proteas lost their nerve.

Virat Kohli had earlier smashed 76 runs off 59 balls, comfortably his best score of the tournament, to help India set a daunting target of 177 – the highest ever in a men's T20 World Cup final.

Kohli's innings came to an end in the penultimate over as he swung Rabada's delivery straight to Marco Jansen at long-on, after partner Axar Patel (47) was run out by Quinton de Kock.

That knock proved to be the title clincher, though, as the India bowlers provided able support to their batsmen.

South Africa were reduced to 12-2 within the first three overs as Jasprit Bumrah sent wickets flying with a brilliant outswinger to beat Reeza Hendricks (4) and Arsheep Singh had Aiden Markram (4) caught behind by Rishabh Pant.

If India thought they would be able to defend their total in comfort, however, they were mistaken.

Heinrich Klaasen slammed 52 off 27 balls with support from De Kock (39) and Tristan Stubbs (31), to take them close.

Thirty runs from as many deliveries was the target at one point, but Klaasen nicked Pandya's ball through to Pant in the 17th over and Bumrah followed up by dismissing Jansen for two.

The tail was unable to provide the heroics for South Africa, desperate final-over swings from Miller (21) and Rabada (4) going unrewarded as Pandya finished with an efficient 3-20.

Kohli picks his moment

Kohli has not been on top form throughout this tournament, 37 versus Bangladesh his best score until this point with five of his innings bringing single-digit tallies.

He stepped up when it mattered most, though, becoming just the third player to make a half-century in multiple T20 World Cup finals, having made 77 in India's 2014 loss to Sri Lanka (also Marlon Samuels and Kumar Sangakkara).

After being presented with the Man-of-the-Match award, Kohli suggested he will not play at the next edition of the tournament in 2026. If his T20I career is over, he certainly went out on a high.

Klaasen's historic knock in vain

South Africa ran India close despite being tasked with chasing the best total ever recorded in a T20 World Cup final, and that was mostly due to Klaasen's efforts.

He made his half-century in 23 balls, the fastest 50 in a T20 World Cup final. He obliterated the previous record, Mitchell Marsh's 31-ball half-century for Australia in 2021.

Long wait over for India

Most observers would agree India are fitting champions, having marked themselves out as the best team at the tournament during the last few weeks.

It is their first T20 World Cup crown since they won the inaugural edition in 2007, and they have joined England and West Indies as the only teams to triumph more than once (two titles each).

We are at the end of what has been a brilliant ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 – and we have a final fit for the occasion.

India and South Africa have both played excellent cricket and really deserve their place in Barbados this weekend. It is going to be so hard to call – with two teams who have played clean and aggressive cricket throughout the tournament.

India are going to be so hard to beat. They bat so deep and in Jasprit Bumrah, have a world-class death bowler who can break the hearts of the opponents. In contrast, I picked South Africa as a dark horse before the tournament began, and it is very special to see them finally reach their first final after so many semi-final upsets.

Getting over the hump and winning a World Cup is so special and if they can do it, it will create memories that will last a lifetime for the players and the nation.

I have won the T20 World Cup on two occasions, and they are among the most special experiences I have in life – let alone cricket.

I have so many treasured items from my career but my two rings for winning World Cups are the standouts. They are like Super Bowl rings, almost physical proof that you have climbed to the top of the mountain and become champions of the world.

When she’s older, I will give both of my rings – for being part of the West Indies sides that won the T20 World Cups in 2012 and 2016 – to my daughter and I can’t wait for that moment.

I will tell her to keep one, and then pass the other one down to my future grandchildren, and I’m so proud to keep them in our family for generations.

Barbados is going to be at its regal best for the final and the build-up to the match has brought back so many memories of our special day in 2012. But before I get to that, it’s worth pointing out that it’s the journey to get to a final that truly forms a team and their identity.

We played New Zealand in the final match of the Super 8s, and it went down to a Super Over – with the winner going through to the semi-final. I knew I had to be brave when I went out to bat, and I was lucky enough to thrive in situations where the pressure was most intense.

I smacked the first ball for six, and in that moment I knew we’d go on, win the match and the tournament.

We played against Sri Lanka, the host nation, in the final and we really struggled. But Marlon Samuels played one of the innings of his life and we posted an okay total on a low-scoring pitch. Our bowlers then did the rest.

When that final Sri Lankan wicket fell, and it was an indescribable moment. At first, I think I felt relief more than anything and then just pure joy. I didn’t actually sleep that night, I think I was up for 24 hours after winning it. We went for a photoshoot the next morning and I don’t think I want to see the pictures! We were so tired but so content with life at the same time.

I had a good tournament in 2012 and finished as the fourth-highest run-scorer in six innings.

Four years on, we were lucky enough to do it again and Carlos Brathwaite played that remarkable innings against England. Remember the name? In so many ways, it was more phenomenal to win it again – but I think experience counts for so much in finals. It’s why India will be so confident on Sunday.

Whoever comes out on top, they will join a select group of people who can call themselves a Men’s T20 World Cup champion. I promise the winners, it’s the most amazing feeling in the world.

Harry Brook says England are out to give the United States "a good battering" in Sunday's T20 World Cup contest as they bid to clinch a place in the last four.

Having beaten West Indies and lost to South Africa thus far in the Super 8s, England can all but secure a semi-final berth with a convincing win over the co-hosts in Barbados.

A good run-rate could prove pivotal in Group 2, where there is a chance of England, South Africa and West Indies all finishing on four points.

With that in mind, Brook has backed Jos Buttler's team to go on the offensive, saying: "We've got to win and then obviously see how we are on net run-rate but the main thing is to definitely get that win.

"We've played in Barbados quite a lot in the past six months so we know the conditions, we know the wind and the pitch as well so hopefully we can go out there and give them a good battering.

"I haven't actually seen them play, just a few highlights here and there of their bowlers, but we'll do our analysis and have a proper look to make sure we're ready for the game."

Net run-rate was the only thing that helped England survive the group stage, as they narrowly edged out Scotland to finish second behind Australia.

"We've been there before," Brook added. "We've got to concentrate on winning it first and then we'll have a chat and see what the run-rate says."

For a long time, West Indies ODI skipper Shai Hope was looked at as a batsman who would struggle in the shortest form of the game because of what many described as an inability to score quickly.

Over the last couple years, however, Hope has rubbished those sentiments thanks to some destructive batting performances in the CPL as well as in leagues around the world.

His evolution as a T20 batsman was none more evident than during the West Indies’ game against the USA at the ICC T20 World Cup on Friday in his home country of Barbados.

Looking to bounce back from a loss to England in their first game of the Super 8 on Wednesday, the joint hosts dismissed their American counterparts for 128 after losing the toss at the Kensington Oval.

The West Indians then needed only 10.5 overs to reach 130-1, with Hope finishing 82* off just 39 balls. In a brilliant display of power hitting, Hope hit eight sixes and four fours on the way to his highest score in T20 Internationals.

“Clinical,” was how Hope described the team’s performance on Friday in a post-match press conference.

“Especially coming off the loss that we had a couple days ago. It's great to see the guys understood the assignment today and we played the cricket that we wanted to play. It's important for us to continue in this vein because we see what's at stake now. But yeah, very happy with the bounce back that we did today and there's a lot more cricket to play and we're looking forward to it,” he added.

On his own individual performance, Hope was happy to perform in front of his home crowd.

“Yeah, it was an amazing crowd. It's nice to see everyone came out and support us today. Something that we get in the Caribbean when we're doing well, we tend to see a lot more supporters out there. So that means we must be doing something right if you've got a solo crowd. But yeah, the crowd was rocking today,” he said.

“I thought that the support was amazing. Again, I'm from Barbados so playing in front of this lovely crowd meant a lot more to me. Scoring some runs and winning the game for the team felt even more special so I'm very happy to do that,” Hope added.

At the start of the tournament, Hope was on the outside of the XI looking in. He missed the first three games before coming into the side ahead of Roston Chase in the third game against Afghanistan where he 25 batting at number four.

The 30-year-old was then left out once again for the Super 8 opener against England. A side strain suffered by Brandon King during that game meant Hope was given an opportunity at the top of the order against the USA, an opportunity that he grabbed with both hands.

“Yeah, it's a great feeling. Again, whatever the team requires, that's me. Unfortunately, King had to leave us. Hopefully, he recovers quickly. But yeah, I had to go at the top this time around and the aim was just to get off to a good start. You see the importance of finishing the game early as well. So yeah, I had a good time in the middle, good surface and I enjoyed batting tonight,” he said.

“Just have to stay ready in a tournament like this. There's a reason why we have 15 players. All of them need to be ready whenever the time comes,” he added.

Finally, Hope issued a plea to the fans of the West Indies to continue supporting them on their journey to a third ICC T20 World Cup title.

“Keep rallying. That's our motto. We always talk about rallying around the West Indies. That's exactly what we need to keep doing. The team rallying around each other. The fans need to do the same. We're out there fighting for each and every one of us. So, you understand the importance and the magnitude of the tournament. We're playing a home World Cup, something that I'm sure a lot of cricketers over their careers may not get the opportunity to do. We understand the importance of this in particular and we know how much the fans really want us to win so we're fighting, we're doing it for them and it's great to see the support I hope that it continues for the rest of the tournament,” he said.

The West Indies will take on South Africa in their last Super 8 match on Sunday in Antigua.

West Indies all-rounder Roston Chase believes it is his country's destiny to win the T20 World Cup following their nine-wicket victory over fellow co-hosts the United States.

The 32-year-old took 3-19 as the USA were bowled out for 128, with Shai Hope hitting an unbeaten 82 from 39 balls as the Windies leapfrogged England in the race for the semi-finals. 

"It is our destiny and our goal to win this World Cup," Chase said after the victory. "We want teams to know they have to beat us to win this World Cup."

Rovman Powell's side equalled the record for the West Indies' most wins in a single calendar year (W9 in 2021) in T20Is, and face South Africa in Antigua next Monday. 

The triumph continued their impressive T20 record at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, and they have now won five of their previous seven T20Is at the venue. 

The last and only previous time they won more consecutive games in Barbados was a four-game streak from May 2010 to March 2014, which has got the West Indies believing they can claim a third title. 

"It's very special," captain Powell said. "Kensington brings special memories for us. We had no better opportunity to come out and play some good cricket."

The USA still holds on to the hopes of qualifying for the competition's semi-finals but knows their hopes of progression lie elsewhere. 

Having lost their opening Super 8 fixture to South Africa, they will be hoping the Proteas can do them a favour in defeating the West Indies but would need a comprehensive victory of their own against current champions England. 

"We lost wickets in clusters," captain Aaron Jones said. "I don't think we ever truly recovered from that. It was bad in the middle.

"We'll go back to the drawing board and come back hard against England on Sunday."

West Indies hammered their fellow T20 World Cup hosts the United States by nine wickets to put themselves in the driving seat for a semi-final spot.

Having lost their opening Super 8s match to England, the Windies bounced back in style in Barbados on Friday.

Shai Hope's unbeaten 82, which came from 39 balls and included eight sixes, three of which came on the bounce, saw West Indies surpass the target of just 129 within 11 overs.

Hope was recalled to the team after an injury to Brandon King, but will be a tough drop for Rovman Powell now.

The USA had made a promising start, but slipped from 51-1 to 65-4 in the space of three overs, with Andre Russell the pick of the Windies' bowlers (3-31). Andre Gous (29) and Nitish Kumar (20) were the best scores on the board, as they were skittled out for 128.

Hope, Johnson Charles (15) and Nicholas Pooran (27 not out) then wasted little time in securing a margin of victory that sends West Indies above England in Group 2, while their net run rate is also superior to South Africa's.

The Proteas are West Indies' final opponents, while defending champions England face the USA in their last Super 8s match.

Data Debrief: Windies in fine fettle

West Indies have now won nine of their 11 T20Is in 2024, after winning eight games in each of 2022 and 2023.

Their tally of victories this year matches 2021 as their best effort in a single calendar year.

They have also won five of their last seven T20Is at Kensington Oval, and their last three in a row.

Suryakumar Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah led India to a 47-run defeat of Italy at the T20 World Cup on Thursday.

India started their Super 8s campaign in style in Barbados, with Suryakumar's 28-ball 53 propelling them to 181-8 from their 20 overs.

Virat Kohli added 24, with Hardik Pandya contributing a useful 30 too, though Fazalhaq Farooqi, the tournament's leading wicket-taker, finished with impressive figures of 3-33.

Yet Farooqi was outshone by Bumrah, who was the star of India's bowling attack.

Bumrah took 3-7 as he skittled through Afghanistan's top order, reducing them to 23-3 inside five overs.

Arshdeep Singh (3-36) rounded matters off, sending Rashid Khan, Naveen-ul-Haq and Noor Ahmad packing to bowl Afghanistan all out for 134.

The victory sent India to the top of Group One, ahead of Australia's clash with Bangladesh.

Data Debrief: More history for Kohli

Kohli might have taken a backseat in this win, but his haul of 24 saw him move onto 4,066 runs in T20Is.

That makes Kohli India's record run scorer in the format, with the 35-year-old having surpassed Rohit Sharma (4,050).

England coach Matthew Mott blamed nerves for his side's "sloppy" start against Scotland, but believes they had "all things in their favour" in the chase had the game not been abandoned.

Their World Cup opener was rained off after only one innings, which was split in two due to the bad weather, though Scotland's Michael Jones and George Munsey scored an impressive 90-0 in their 10 overs.

England were then set a target of 109 in 10 overs, but another rainstorm denied them a chance to begin the chase before the match was called off.

Prior to the first rain break, Mark Wood had George Munsey caught on 16, but the opener was reprieved when Wood was shown to have bowled a front-foot no-ball, while misfields allowed extra runs.

Despite what Mott labelled as "sloppy" play while bowling, he was confident his side would have been able to mount a successful chase.

"It was probably just a bit of nerves at the start of a tournament," Mott told the BBC.

"There's definitely areas we want to improve on, but there was a lot of good stuff in there as well.

"That was certainly an achievable chase. We probably would have had all the things in our favour in terms of only 10 overs, 10 wickets in hand and a wet ball [for Scotland's bowlers].

"It was frustrating not to get back out there, but that's the way it is."

Next up for England in Group B is Australia on Saturday at the Kensington Oval, Barbados.

"I definitely think Australia is a big game but it's our next game and that's why it's a big game, and then depending on how we go there we reset and go again," Mott added.

"I'm sure, if the weather allows us, I think it'll be a fantastic contest."

England and Scotland’s T20 World Cup opener was abandoned after the first innings due to heavy rain.

The match was initially delayed by an hour following the toss before Scotland came out to bat, racing to 59-0 during the powerplay, including a six from Michael Jones that smashed a solar panel, before the wet weather halted proceedings once more.

In what then became a reduced-overs match, Scotland looked sharp, as Jones’ 45 not out and George Munsey’s 41 not out meant they finished their 10 overs on 90-0, setting England a target of 109 to chase in their innings due to the DLS method.

However, more heavy rain made it impossible for the game to continue, and it was eventually called off with England and Scotland taking a point apiece from their opener, leaving them sitting behind early Group B leaders Namibia.

With the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup now just only a few days away, Chairman of the National Organising Committee Noel Lynch says the iconic Kensington Oval is just about ready for the showpiece which is scheduled to begin on Saturday.

Lynch’s confirmation came during a media tour of the venue, which will host nine matches, including the June 29 final.

“Kensington Oval has never looked as good as it does right now. The field, in particular, is in its best condition ever, and those who have played on it are nodding in agreement,” Lynch opined.

Though some finishing touches are still being applied, Lynch praised the dedication and hard work of the curators and groundsmen, as he declared the Oval is ready to host cricket matches.

“We are not boasting, but we are ready. We’re 95 per cent to 99 per cent ready,” he declared.

The infrastructural improvements to the Oval include upgrades to the bathroom facilities, the inclusion of a three-tier hospitality suite, upgrades to the media centre and the erection of a temporary stand with a 2,500 seating capacity.

Aside from the World Cup, Lynch pointed out that they are also engaging the local community through the KOMI Good Neighbor Programme. The programme focuses on involving residents from nearby areas, providing them with job opportunities related to the Oval’s upkeep. 

“This isn’t just about the World Cup; it’s about an ongoing, sustainable programme,” Lynch said. 

“We have walked every avenue in Pickwick Gap, gone house to house with the member of parliament, and engaged with the community directly,” he added.

Finally, there will be an open house on Wednesday, where Barbadians and visitors are invited to get a firsthand look on the upgraded Oval ahead of the World Cup. Gates will open at 1:00pm.

The West Indies claimed their first home ODI series win over England since 1998 with a four-wicket win via the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method in the decisive third ODI at the Kensington Oval in Barbados on Saturday.

In a match eventually reduced to 40 overs per side after rain interruptions before and during the match, England recovered from a horrific first ten overs to post 206-9 from their 40 overs after being put in to bat by West Indian skipper Shai Hope.

Debutant Matthew Forde got proceedings off to the best possible start for the West Indies with the wicket of Phil Salt for just four at the end of the first over.

Not long after, Forde was at it again, picking up the wickets of Zak Crawley (0) and Will Jacks (17) to leave England struggling at 45-3 at the start of the ninth over.

45-3 became 48-4 in the 10^th over when Alzarri Joseph brilliantly ran out Harry Brook off his own bowling for one.

England captain Jos Buttler, fresh off a half-century in the last game, lasted only one ball on Saturday.

Joseph greeted Buttler with a well-directed short ball that he was unable to control, helping the ball out to Gudakesh Motie on the deep square leg boundary for a simple catch to leave England 49-5 after 10 overs of the rain-shortened 43 overs per side contest.

An 88-run sixth wicket partnership between Ben Duckett and Liam Livingstone provided some stability to the English effort before Duckett fell for a well-played 73-ball 71 in the 26^th over. His knock included six fours and one six.

Livingstone was next to go two overs later, caught by Sherfane Rutherford at mid-on off the bowling of Romario Shepherd for 45 to leave England 142-7.

With England 161-7 off 33 overs, the rains came once again. Soon after the restart, England lost their eighth wicket when Rehan Ahmed fell caught behind off the bowling of Alzarri Joseph for 15 to leave the score 166-8 in the 34^th over.

Joseph picked up his third wicket when he had Sam Curran caught on the point boundary by Gudakesh Motie for 12 to leave England 171-9 in the 36^th over.

In the end, a 35-run 10^th wicket partnership between Gus Atkinson (20*) and Matthew Potts (15*) helped England reach 206-9.

Forde ended with 3-29 from his eight overs while Joseph was expensive, going for 61 from his eight overs with three wickets to his name.

A third rain delay during the innings break meant the West Indies had a revised target of 188 from 34 overs.

The chase got off to the worst possible start when Brandon King was caught at cover off the bowling of Gus Atkinson for just one in the second over.

Alick Athanaze and Keacy Carty then put together a solid 76-run second wicket partnership that ended when Atkinson trapped Athanaze in front for a 51-ball 45 in the 14^th over.

Captain Shai Hope was next to go, caught brilliantly by Matthew Potts off the bowling of Rehan Ahmed for 15 to leave the West Indies 99-3 in the 17^th over.

Then, with the West Indies cruising needing 72 from 78 balls, Shimron Hetmyer mistimed a ball straight into the hands of Phil Salt at point for 11 off the bowling of Will Jacks.

The West Indies quickly lost another one when Sherfane Rutherford held out to Zak Crawley at long on off Jacks’ bowling for three to leave the score at 122-5 after 23.2 overs leaving the hosts needing 66 runs from 64 balls.

Carty, two balls after bringing up an excellent half century, became Jacks’ third victim in quick succession caught and bowled to leave the West Indies 135-6 needing 53 runs from 50 balls.

The 31^st proved to be the ultimate game changer for the West Indies. The over bowled by Gus Atkinson went for 24 to leave them needing just nine more to win from the final three overs.

In the end, Romario Shepherd (41*) and Matthew Forde (13*) steered the West Indies to 191-6 off 31.4 overs to seal the 2-1 series win.

Will Jacks tried his best for England with 3-22 from his seven overs while Gus Atkinson ended with 2058 from his six overs.

Full Scores:

England 206-9 off 40 overs (Ben Duckett 71, Liam Livingston 45, Matthew Forde 3-29, Alzarri Joseph 3-61, Romario Shepherd 2-50)

West Indies 191-6 off 31.4 overs (Keacy Carty 50, Alick Athanaze 45, Romario Shepherd 41*, Will Jacks 3-22, Gus Atkinson 2-58)

The Guyana Amazon Warriors are now at the top of the Caribbean Premier League points table after a dominant 98-run win over the St. Kitts & Nevis Patriots at the Kensington Oval on Saturday.

The Amazon Warriors first posted 186-6 from their 20 overs after the Patriots won the toss and chose to field first.

All-rounder Keemo Paul followed up his 56 in their last game with an unbeaten 41 off 31 balls including one four and three sixes.

Shimron Hetmyer (36), Dwayne Pretorius (27) and Romario Shepherd with a rapid seven-ball 26 provided excellent contributions to the Amazon Warriors total.

Oshane Thomas continued his return to form this season with 3-26 from three overs.

The Patriots, who are now winless after seven games, could then muster only 88 off 17.1 overs in another awful batting performance.

Corbin Bosch scored the bulk of the runs with a run-a-ball 27.

Dwayne Pretorius was the star with the ball with 3-17 from three overs while West Indies left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie took 2-15 from four overs.

The Amazon Warriors are now top of the table with seven points from four games.

Barbados Royals kicked off the 2023 Massy Women’s Caribbean Premier League (WCPL) with a thrilling final over chase at Kensington Oval, Barbados.

After winning the toss and opting to bat, the Amazon Warriors produced a record-breaking innings on their route to 166/2 from their 20 overs. 

Sophie Devine became the second New Zealander in as many days to hit a CPL century, following on from Martin Guptill’s knock with 103 not out from 64 balls, bringing up the landmark score on the final delivery of the innings with a six over long-off.

Facing a difficult task, the Royals appeared to lack power until Laura Harris took the 15^th over for 24 to put the game in the balance. With 43 still required from five overs, Erin Burns and Chinelle Henry saw the hosts home with two balls to spare.

With Devine leading the way a day before her 35^th birthday, the Warriors kept wickets in hand throughout their innings while maintaining a strong run rate as they ended an explosive PowerPlay 50/0.

Royals captain Hayley Matthews used 12 overs of spin consecutively in the innings in attempt to slow the visitors through the middle overs, before the Amazon Warriors blasted 62 from the final five overs to break the WCPL record for highest total.

Amanda-Jade Wellington should have had Devine out for 41 in the ninth over when a false shot brought a straightforward chance for Afy Fletcher at short cover which was dropped, while the score was still wicketless.

The Royals were facing an uphill battle chasing 167 in the early stages; Matthews’ dismissal for 23 was a setback after a steady powerplay at a-run-a-ball. Gaby Lewis played a superb 360-degree knock which brought hope for the Royals which was backed up by Harris’ spectacular 30 from just 12 balls. 

Shabnim Ismail produced a brilliant 19^th over, conceding just three runs but with just nine runs to win from the final over, Suzie Bates couldn’t stop an in-form Erin Burns from closing out the chase.

Barbados Royals are in action again on Saturday as they face defending champions Trinbago Knight Riders.

The West Indies rebounded from an embarrassing defeat in the opening ODI against India on Thursday with a comfortable six-wicket win in the second ODI on Saturday at the Kensington Oval to tie the three-match series 1-1.

Despite things looking ominous with Ishan Kishan and Shubman Gill putting on 90 for the first wicket, the hosts produced an excellent bowling display to restrict them to 181 all out in 40.5 overs after winning the toss and electing to field.

Kishan followed up his fifty in the first match with a run-a-ball 55 to top score while Shubman Gill (34) and Suryakumar Yadav (24) were the only other batsmen to make any meaningful contributions to the Indian total.

Romario Shepherd and Gudakesh Motie were the stars with the ball for the hosts. Shepherd took a career-best 3-37 off his eight overs while Motie bowled 9.5 overs for his 3-36. Alzarri Joseph chipped in with 2-35 off seven overs.

The Windies then needed just 36.4 overs to reach 182-4.

The successful chase was led by Captain, Shai Hope, who made an unbeaten 80-ball 63 including two fours and as many sixes. Keacy Carty provided good support for his skipper with 48* off 65 balls including four fours.

Shardul Thakur took 3-42 off eight overs for India.

The series decider is set for Tuesday at the Brian Lara Academy.