India held off a late West Indies assault to secure a thrilling 14-run victory in the third T20I at the Holkar Stadium in Indore on Sunday, taking a 2-1 lead in the five-match series. Abhishek Sharma's explosive 69 off 30 balls powered India to 223 before Arshdeep Singh's decisive strikes in the 18th over helped the hosts defend the total despite Shamar Springer's late charge.
/img/2026/10/indiavswestindies-tn3-67841791740518.jpg "India vs West Indies")
West Indies, who had won the toss and elected to bowl, were left chasing 224 after restricting India to 223 in 20 overs. Springer smashed 35 off just 11 deliveries towards the end of the innings, but India's bowlers held their nerve to prevent the visitors from completing another daunting chase after their record-breaking effort in Ranchi.
The result puts India ahead in the series after West Indies levelled it with a six-wicket win in the second T20I.
Abhishek Sharma's 69 powers India after explosive start
India suffered an early setback when Sanju Samson fell for three off six balls, dismissed by Shamar Joseph with only seven runs on the board. Abhishek, however, quickly shifted the momentum, attacking the West Indies bowlers to bring up his half-century in just 18 deliveries.
Ishan Kishan provided equally aggressive support as India raced to 66/1 after five overs and reached 98/1 at the end of the seventh. Kishan eventually departed for 37 off 18 balls, stumped by Shai Hope off Roston Chase, who had now dismissed the left-hander four times in T20 cricket.
Abhishek's innings ended at 69 off 30 deliveries when Shamar Springer took a return catch after the opener top-edged a pull. The dismissal triggered a sudden collapse, with India losing three wickets in the space of 10 balls for just nine runs.
Shreyas Iyer also fell cheaply, leaving the hosts to rebuild after their commanding start.
West Indies fight back as India lose momentum
India's middle order struggled to maintain the scoring rate while West Indies continued to find breakthroughs. Gudakesh Motie dismissed Naman Dhir for 10 off five balls, while Keemo Paul removed Nitish Kumar Reddy for 21 off 14 deliveries.
Tilak Varma and Axar Patel attempted to stabilise the innings, but India lost another important wicket when Tilak was run out after a mix-up while attempting a second run. He departed with India at 196/7 in the 17th over.
Axar's innings ended at 20 following another run-out, while Arshdeep Singh briefly lifted the scoring with a six before being dismissed for 11 by Springer. Springer's two wickets in the 19th over left India at 210/9.
Prince Yadav provided a valuable late contribution with three boundaries in the final over, helping India finish on 223 before Shamar Joseph dismissed Mayank Yadav for a golden duck on the last ball. Springer and Joseph claimed two wickets apiece for West Indies.
Arshdeep Singh's double strike turns the match
West Indies began their chase with a major setback when Arshdeep dismissed captain Shai Hope for five, bowling him with a delivery that moved back into the batter. The visitors recovered through Shimron Hetmyer and Kamil Pooran, reaching 54/1 at the end of the powerplay.
Hetmyer attacked India's pace bowlers, striking 43 off 26 deliveries with six fours and two sixes. Naman Dhir ended his innings by bowling him with a delivery that beat his attempted shot and hit the off-stump.
Axar Patel then removed Rovman Powell for five, while Pooran kept West Indies in contention with an aggressive 42 off 27 balls, including three sixes. Naman Dhir eventually dismissed Pooran, who was caught by Arshdeep in the deep.
West Indies were 105/4 after 11 overs, but Sherfane Rutherford and Quentin Sampson kept the chase alive with a partnership that threatened to bring the visitors back into the contest.
Nitish Kumar Reddy broke the stand by dismissing Sampson for 21 off 15 balls, caught by Tilak Varma at long-off. Rutherford continued attacking, leaving West Indies with a chance as the innings entered its closing stages.
The decisive moment arrived in the 18th over. Arshdeep removed Keemo Paul for 10 before producing a pinpoint yorker to bowl Rutherford for 32 off 20 balls. The double strike severely damaged West Indies' hopes of reaching the target and shifted the pressure back onto the visitors.
Shamar Springer threatens late comeback
Springer launched a counterattack in the closing overs, smashing 35 off just 11 deliveries to keep West Indies fighting until the final over. His late hitting brought the target within sight, but the visitors had left themselves too much to do after losing wickets at crucial stages.
Axar Patel conceded 22 runs in the final over, but India had built enough of a cushion to withstand the late assault. West Indies finished 14 runs short, giving India a hard-fought victory after their bowling unit had struggled to defend 249 in Ranchi.
Arshdeep's breakthroughs proved central to the result, while India's ability to recover from a middle-order collapse and post 223 provided the foundation for the win.
With the victory, India moved 2-1 ahead in the five-match series. West Indies will need to respond in the fourth T20I to keep the contest level, while India will look to carry the momentum forward after successfully defending a high total under pressure.
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