Bengaluru rain delay cuts India-WI series decider to nine overs a side

Bengaluru: The rain-hit fifth and final T20I between India and the West Indies at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium here on Saturday has been reduced to a nine-overs-a-side contest, with the toss scheduled for 9 pm and play set to begin 15 minutes later. The powerplay in the truncated game will last just 2.4 overs. The toss […]

Bengaluru: The rain-hit fifth and final T20I between India and the West Indies at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium here on Saturday has been reduced to a nine-overs-a-side contest, with the toss scheduled for 9 pm and play set to begin 15 minutes later.

The powerplay in the truncated game will last just 2.4 overs. The toss was originally scheduled for 6.30 pm, but steady rain kept the covers on and both teams in their dressing rooms.

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The breakthrough came around 8.30 pm, when ground staff rushed out and began removing the covers. The sheet over the square was taken off to loud cheers from the crowd, which had been waiting patiently.

Reserve umpire Virender Sharma then walked out to the middle, where Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) president Venkatesh Prasad and vice-president Sujith Somasundar were inspecting the pitch and conditions. On-field umpires Nitin Menon and Rohan Pandit soon joined them.

The game will be played on the central strip, which looked dry once uncovered. The covers over the bowlers’ run-ups were also removed, while a super sopper got to work on the outfield.

“The surface looks dry enough, but I can’t see what’s underneath. Bound to be some moisture, which will mean there could be some hold on the surface thanks to the rain,” former West Indies pacer Ian Bishop said on the broadcast.

India’s throwdown specialist Raghu was the first to emerge with the kit bag, followed by veteran pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar, whose appearance drew a huge roar from the stands. The shortened contest will decide the winner of the series, which is currently tied 2-2.

India, the reigning T20 World Cup champions, will be keen to avoid a second consecutive bilateral series defeat to the West Indies after their 2-3 loss in August 2023. West Indies skipper Shai Hope has been the standout batter of the series, scoring 261 runs, including two centuries in winning causes.

With the M Chinnaswamy Stadium known for its short boundaries, a nine-over contest promises plenty of fireworks. It is also the venue’s first international fixture since the India-New Zealand Test in October 2024. The stadium had been out of the reckoning for international matches following the stampede during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s IPL title celebrations in June 2025.