Samuels was previously banned for two years in 2008 for passing on team information to a bookmaker during a one-day series in India in January 2007.

Suryakumar Yadav exhibited a stunning performance, smashing 83 runs off 44 balls, propelling India to a seven-wicket victory over the West Indies in the third Twenty20 international in Guyana on Tuesday. This triumph has kept India’s hopes alive in the series.

Following the early dismissals of T20 debutant Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill during their pursuit of 160 runs, Suryakumar Yadav took center stage with a dazzling innings encompassing 10 fours and four sixes. His dynamic display came to an end when he was caught out on an Alzarri Joseph full toss to deep backward square leg. However, Tilak Varma remained unbeaten on 49, and captain Hardik Pandya sealed the win with a decisive six, leaving 13 balls unused.

West Indies’ skipper Rovman Powell played a pivotal role in propelling his team to a total of 159/5 after choosing to bat upon winning the toss in Providence. He contributed a rapid 40 not out. Brandon King scored 42 runs at a run-a-ball rate, while opener Kyle Mayers (25) and Nicholas Pooran (20) also made noteworthy contributions.

India’s left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav, replacing Ravi Bishnoi, led the bowling charge with figures of 3/28. Axar Patel and Mukesh Kumar secured a wicket each.

This victory by India narrowed the West Indies’ series lead to 2-1, following their four-run loss in the series opener and the dramatic two-wicket defeat on Sunday.

The West Indies are striving to secure their first series victory of two or more matches against India in any format since 2016. Prior to this T20I success, India had emerged triumphant in the preceding two-Test series (1-0) and the ODIs (2-1) against the West Indies.

Nicholas Pooran’s brilliant knock of 67 overshadowed Tilak Varma’s maiden international half-century as the West Indies secured a thrilling two-wicket victory against India in the second Twenty20 International in Guyana on Sunday.

India struggled to 152/7 after opting to bat first, and despite Pooran’s heroics, the West Indies found themselves in a precarious situation at 129/8 after losing four wickets for just three runs.

However, tailenders Alzarri Joseph and Akeal Hosein kept their composure and guided the West Indies to a stunning win with seven balls to spare.

West Indies captain Rovman Powell highlighted the importance of their batting against spin, acknowledging the uncertainties of cricket.

With this victory, the West Indies take a 2-0 lead in the five-match series after winning the first T20I in Tarouba by four runs.

Tilak Varma, who impressed in the Indian Premier League with 343 runs for Mumbai Indians, played a brilliant knock of 51 from 41 balls before being dismissed by Akeal Hosein. His effort, along with contributions from Ishan Kishan and skipper Hardik Pandya, helped India reach a modest total.

In their chase, the West Indies got off to a poor start, losing Brandon King and Johnson Charles to Pandya in the opening over. However, Nicholas Pooran took charge and played an incredible innings, smashing six fours and four sixes.

Although the West Indies looked in control, they stumbled from 126/4 to 129/8, thanks to Yuzvendra Chahal’s three wickets in the 16th over. With just two wickets in hand, they needed 24 runs from the last four overs.

Nevertheless, Joseph and Hosein held their nerves and guided the West Indies to a remarkable win.

Earlier, the tourists had won the preceding two-Test series 1-0 and the ODIs 2-1 against the West Indies.

2ND T20I:

India 152/7 (Tilak 51, Kishan 27) lost to the West Indies 155/8 (Pooran 67, Pandya 3/35) by two wickets.

In a thrilling encounter at Kensington Oval in Barbados on Saturday, West Indies captain Shai Hope played the role of the sheet anchor to perfection, guiding his team to a crucial six-wicket victory over India in the second One-Day International of the three-match series.

After the Windies’ bowlers took advantage of the helpful pitch and a lackluster batting display by India, dismissing them for 181 in just 40.5 overs, Hope’s unbeaten 63 and the valuable support from Keacy Carty (48 not out) in an unbroken fifth-wicket partnership of 91 put an end to their nine-match losing streak against India in ODIs, spanning four years.

This victory was a remarkable comeback following the West Indies’ disappointing five-wicket loss in the series opener at the same venue just three days prior, setting the stage for an exciting series decider scheduled for Tuesday at Brian Lara Stadium in Trinidad.

Hope and Carty came together at a critical juncture when Shimron Hetmyer fell to Kuldeep Yadav, leaving the home side struggling at 91 for four in the 17th over. Earlier, Shardul Thakur’s three-wicket burst had brought India back into the game after the Windies had a promising 53-run opening stand between Kyle Mayers and Brandon King.

Delighted with his performance, Hope expressed his contentment with contributing to team victories, regardless of personal milestones. He said, “Once I can contribute to team wins, I am happy. Whether I get a 50, whether I get a hundred, whether I get a double-hundred, as long as we win, I am happy.” He also praised his partnership with Carty, noting that they had to work hard for every run against India’s formidable bowling attack.

In the first innings, left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie and seamer Romario Shepherd wreaked havoc, claiming three wickets each, as India, who rested regular captain Rohit Sharma and star batsman Virat Kohli, struggled after an opening partnership of 90 between Ishan Kishan and Shubman Gill. The interruptions due to seasonal showers further hampered India’s efforts to build momentum in the middle and lower order.

While the loss was disappointing for India, stand-in captain Hardik Pandya remained positive, emphasizing that the upcoming decider presented an opportunity for the team to show their character and bounce back. He praised some good individual performances and expressed the team’s eagerness to give their best in the final match.

With all to play for in the series decider, cricket fans eagerly await the thrilling conclusion to this intense contest between the West Indies and India.

In an impressive display of spin mastery, left-arm spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja orchestrated the downfall of an abject West Indies team. India secured a convincing five-wicket victory with more than 27 overs to spare in the opening One-Day International (ODI) of a three-match series at Kensington Oval in Barbados on Thursday.

Opting to bowl first, India’s varied bowling attack left the home team floundering at sea, as they could only muster a paltry 114 runs off 23 overs. Kuldeep Yadav’s wrist-spin proved to be especially baffling for the West Indies batsmen, as he claimed four wickets for a mere six runs in his three overs.

Despite the low target, India’s chase was anchored by Ishan Kishan’s aggressive 52 runs. However, the loss of three wickets towards the end of the pursuit took some sheen off the victory.

The match provided an opportunity for younger batting aspirants to showcase their skills ahead of the World Cup. Notably, Virat Kohli did not feature in the game, while captain Rohit Sharma joined the action only after the fall of the fifth wicket.

Yadav’s introduction as the sixth bowler triggered the collapse of the West Indies batting line-up, with the last seven wickets falling for just 26 runs. His exceptional figures of four for six off three overs were instrumental in dismantling the opposition.

Ravindra Jadeja proved to be a perfect complement to Yadav’s brilliance, claiming three wickets for 37 runs. Before their spin wizardry, seamers Hardik Pandya, debutant Mukesh Kumar, and Shardul Thakur had set the stage with early breakthroughs, each taking a wicket.

Apart from captain Shai Hope’s valiant effort of 43 runs, the rest of the West Indies batsmen struggled against the varied Indian attack. The home team posted their second-lowest ODI total against India and the joint-third lowest ODI total at home.

For India, the victory bodes well as they are preparing for the upcoming World Cup, which is just over two months away. On the other hand, the West Indies’ batting display adds to their woes, following a disappointing World Cup qualifying campaign in Zimbabwe in June, which led to their failure to secure a spot in the tournament.

Mohammad Siraj has been released from Team India’s ODI squad ahead of the three-match series against the West Indies.

The right-arm pacer has developed a sore ankle, and the BCCI medical team has advised him to take rest as a precautionary measure.

No replacement player has been called for the ODI series, which is set to begin on July 27, 2023, in Barbados.

India’s updated ODI squad comprises:
Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Sanju Samson (WC),Ishan Kishan (WC), Hardik Pandya (VC) ,Shardul Thakur, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Jaydev Unadkat, Umran Malik, Mukesh Kumar

West Indies have announced the inclusion of left-handed batsman Shimron Hetmyer and fast bowler Oshane Thomas in their squad for the upcoming three-match One Day International (ODI) series against India. The series is set to kick off at the Kensington Oval in Barbados on Thursday.

Notably, former captains Nicholas Pooran and Jason Holder will not be available for selection, and all-rounder Keemo Paul will miss out due to an injury, as confirmed by Cricket West Indies in a statement on Monday.

“We welcome Oshane and Shimron back into the group,” stated chief selector Desmond Haynes. “Both have played at the international level before, with some success, and we believe they will fit well into the set-up. Oshane brings pace and is a potential wicket-taker with the new ball. Shimron’s style of batting will offer a lot, especially in the middle stage of the innings, and he is also a potential finisher.”

Additionally, fast bowler Jayden Seales and leg-spinner Yannic Cariah have been included in the squad after recovering from surgery, and left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie joins the team following his recovery from a lower-back injury.

West Indies, a two-time ODI World Cup champion, failed to qualify for this year’s tournament in India and lost the recent two-test series against India 1-0.

The West Indies ODI squad includes the following players: Shai Hope (captain), Rovman Powell, Alick Athanaze, Yannic Cariah, Keacy Carty, Dominic Drakes, Shimron Hetmyer, Alzarri Joseph, Brandon King, Kyle Mayers, Gudakesh Motie, Jayden Seales, Romario Shepherd, Kevin Sinclair, Oshane Thomas.

India’s dominance in the West Indies continued as they clinched a fifth consecutive series triumph on Monday. The second and final Test of the series concluded as a draw due to incessant rain on the last day.

At Queen’s Park Oval in Trinidad, the West Indies ended day four at 76 for two, facing a challenging victory target of 365 to level the series. However, persistent morning showers and intensified rain in the afternoon forced the umpires to abandon the day’s play, resulting in a draw and sealing the series in India’s favor.

Mohammed Siraj, who impressed with his Test-best figure of five for 60 in the West Indies’ first innings, was named the “Player of the Match.” Siraj expressed his satisfaction, stating, “There was no help for fast bowlers on this wicket and when you get success like this in these conditions, it gives you confidence.”

Despite not achieving a 2-0 sweep, India’s skipper, Rohit Sharma, took pride in the team’s performance, especially in the absence of key bowlers like Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami. He praised Siraj’s leadership in the bowling attack and highlighted the team’s consistent performance in Test cricket.

West Indies’ captain, Kraigg Brathwaite, acknowledged the need for consistency and praised the emergence of promising players like Alick Athanaze and Kirk McKenzie in the middle-order.

India had earlier secured a resounding victory in the first Test in Dominica, defeating the West Indies by an innings and 141 runs, their largest-ever margin of success in the Caribbean.

Although India would have been content with the 1-0 series win, they regretted missing out on the opportunity to earn maximum points in the World Test Championship.

Both teams will now shift their focus to the white-ball leg of the tour, starting with the first of three One-Day Internationals at Kensington Oval in Barbados on Thursday, followed by five Twenty20 Internationals, with the last two to be played in Lauderhill, Florida, USA.

Cricket has been called the game of glorious uncertainty. So even 258 runs in a 120-ball game are not safe. In the second T20 match on Sunday night, South Africa lost 258 runs thrown by West Indies with 7 balls in hand. A record 81 fours in this match of a record 517 runs. And the record 35 sixes. There are also many other records. Let’s take a look at them.
The new world record of 259 runs:

Chasing the target of 258 runs set by the West Indies, South Africa won by 259 runs. This is a new T20 world record. Before this, no team could win by chasing so many runs. Before the Proteas in 2018, Australia chased down 244 runs to win against New Zealand.
517, the highest total in T20I:

This is the first time that two teams have scored 500 runs in an international T20 match. Not only that, it is the highest run in any T20 match. Earlier in the recently concluded Pakistan Super League (PSL), Multan Sultans and Quetta Gladiators scored a record 515 runs. This match broke that record too.

Both Teams 250+ This First: This is the first time that the South Africa and Windies teams totaled more than 250 runs. Earlier South Africa’s highest party tally was 241. Which they did against England in 2009 by losing 6 wickets. On the other hand, Windies lost 6 wickets against India in 2016 for 245 runs.

New record at 81 fours: South African and Windies batsmen hit a total of 81 boundaries on Sunday. Which is a new record in T20 cricket. Earlier this month in the PSL between Multan Sultans and Quetta Gladiators there were 78 boundaries in the 515-run match.

New record of 35 sixes: In yesterday’s match, the players of both teams hit a total of 35 sixes. Which is a new record in T20. Earlier in 2022, there were 33 sixes in the match between Bulgaria and Serbia. West Indies earlier hit 22 sixes in one match. The same record was made by Afghanistan in 2019.

Record of 102 runs in power play: South Africa came down to chase the runs and scored a record 102 runs in 6 overs of the power play. Which is the highest among ICC full member countries. Earlier, Windies had scored 98 runs for the loss of 4 wickets in the powerplay against Sri Lanka in 2021. On the other hand, South Africa scored 100 runs in just 5.3 overs. Which is the fastest team 100 in T20 cricket history. Earlier in 2021, Bulgaria scored 100 runs in 5.2 overs against Serbia.

15 Ball Fifty: Quinton de Kock was very aggressive in chasing runs. He completed his fifty off just 15 balls. Which is the fastest fifty in South African T20 cricket history. Earlier he scored a 17-ball fifty against England in 2020. That was the fastest fifty so far. De Kock outdid himself on Sunday.

35-ball century: Johnson Charles of the West Indies completed his century in 35 balls. Which is the joint fourth-fastest century in men’s T20 cricket history.

On the other hand, this is West Indies’ fastest century in T20 cricket history. Before that, Chris Gayle scored a 47-ball century against England in the T20 World Cup in 2016. In the second T20 match on Sunday night, West Indies scored 258 runs for 5 wickets on the innings of 118 runs scored by Johnson Charles in 46 balls with 10 fours and 11 sixes. In response, Quinton de Kock scored 100 runs in 44 balls with 9 fours and 8 sixes and South Africa took 6 wickets and 7 balls in hand. Besides, Reza Hendricks of Proteas scored 68 off 28 balls with 11 fours and 2 sixes and Aiden Markram scored 38 runs off 21 balls with 4 fours and 1 six.

On the other hand, besides Charles of Windies, Kyle Meyers scored 51 runs in 27 balls with 5 fours and 4 sixes. Romario Shepherd scored an unbeaten 41 off 18 balls with 1 four and 4 sixes.

The first match of the three-match series between South Africa and West Indies was abandoned due to rain. And in the second match, West Indies beat the hosts by 48 runs and took a 1-0 lead in the series. While Proteas captain Bavuma’s century eclipsed Hope, the hero of the Caribbean victory. In the second match of the series, the two captains of the two teams fought with the bat. West Indies won the toss and decided to bat at Buffalo Park in East London. The two Caribbean openers, King and Myers, got off to a good start.

After breaking the opening pair, West Indies lost 3 wickets for four runs. But then the Caribbean captain Shai Hope took the lead of the team. West Indies got a huge collection of 335 runs based on his 115-ball unbeaten innings of 128 runs. Hope’s innings of 128 runs had five fours and seven sixes. Hope is joined by Rovman Powell and Nicholas Puranra. Powell scored 46 and Puran scored 39 runs. Gerald Coetzee took 3 wickets for South Africa. Fortune and Shamsi got two wickets each.

The Proteas got off to a good start chasing huge runs in reply. 76 runs from the opening pair. But after De Kock’s dismissal, no one could stay at the crease for long. But the captain Temba Bavuma kept the hope of winning the match by keeping one end. But Bavuma did not find any suitable partner. The innings of two debutant batsmen Tony De Giorgi 14 and Ryan Rickelton 27 did not help the team much. Veteran Rassie von der Dussen could not go into double figures. Bavuma’s innings of 144 runs ended with a catch as the ninth batsman. The hosts were all out with 50 balls to spare. Among the Caribbean bowlers, Aqeel Hossain and Alzari Josep took 3 wickets each. The third match of the series will be held on March 21.