Nicholas Pooran shatters T20I record against India, leaves Jos Buttler, Glenn Maxwell in his wake in sensational knock

The West Indies stand a chance at recording their first win against India in any format in a series that has more than one match. The last time the Carribeans had won a series against India was in the T20I format in 2016 when they won a two-match rubber 1-0. The West Indies then beat India at home in a one-off T20I in 2017. Since then, India have won five series on the bounce against the two-time T20 World Cup champions.

Now, the Carribean side have taken a 2-0 lead in their ongoing five-match series at home against India and star batter Nicholas Pooran has a big role to play in that. Pooran, fresh off scoring a 55-ball 137 in the Major League Cricket final before this series, scored a whirlwind 67 off 40 balls to power West Indies' victory in the second T20I on Sunday. He had earlier scored a more watchful 41 off 34 in the first T20I on a slow pitch in Tarouba during the first T20I, which the West Indies won by four runs.

In the process, he has surpassed former Australia captain Aaron Finch the leading run scorer in T20Is against India. Pooran's tally against India currently stands at 524 runs while Finch had scored 500. While Pooran has got there in 17 innings at a strike rate of 135.01, Finch had played 18 innings against India and had a strike rate of 140.05. England captain Jos Buttler is third on the list with 475 runs in 18 innings at a strike rate of 145.25 while Australia's Glenn Maxwell comes next on 438 in 18 innings at 141.74.

Pooran's Sunday sizzler

The 27-year-old smashed six fours and four sixes in his innings as the West Indies chased down a target of 153. He had come in when the West Indies were rattled by India captain Hardik Pandya taking two wickets in the first over of the match. Pooran found an able partner in captian Rovman Powell first and Shimron Hetmyer later as he took the attack to the Indian bowlers. He got to his 10th T20I half century in 29 balls as he put up a 57-run stand off 37 balls with Powell and then a 37-run partnership off 25 balls with Hetmyer.

West Indies looked in cruise mode while he was batting but his dismissal led to a stunning collapse. The hosts eventually won the match off the last ball with just two wickets in hand. They were 126/4 when Pooran was around and ended up being 129/8 in the space of two overs. Akeal Hosein and Alzarri Joseph then saw them over the line.