Shai Hope Echoes Gill’s ‘406? Cool’ After Record Chase

West Indies captain Shai Hope appeared to take a playful dig at Shubman Gill after his side pulled off a record chase in the second T20I against India in Ranchi on Friday. The visitors reached 250 with six wickets in hand, levelling the five-match series 1-1 at the JSCA International Stadium.

Echo of Gill’s Viral Caption

Soon after the win, Hope shared a post captioned “250? Cool”. The line mirrored one Gill used after India’s victory in the second ODI, when he posted pictures with the words “406? Cool”. Gill had smashed an unbeaten 223 off 133 balls in that match, guiding India to an eight-wicket win and a successful chase of 406.

Hope was the star in Ranchi, scoring an unbeaten 102 off 45 balls with nine sixes and six fours. Sherfane Rutherford backed him with a blistering 84 off 37 deliveries. Together they chased down India’s 249/5 in just 18.3 overs, marking the West Indies’ highest successful chase in T20I cricket.

India’s Big Total Goes in Vain

India had set a daunting target after being asked to bat first. Sanju Samson top-scored with 82 off 41 balls, while Ishan Kishan made 43 off 22. Tilak Varma added 44 off 18, and Shreyas Iyer contributed 40 off 18. Roston Chase was the pick of the West Indies bowlers, taking three wickets for 24 runs in his four overs.

The defeat has drawn strong reactions. Head coach Gautam Gambhir reportedly warned that careers are at stake after the 250-run total went in vain, while Iyer has spoken about why India could not defend it. With the series level, the remaining three matches now carry added pressure for the hosts.