KL Rahul's unbeaten 129, his highest ODI score, and Rohit Sharma's 92 lifted India to 351/7 in the third ODI after Jayden Seales had them 4 for 2. West Indies dropped at least six catches and now need 352.
India recovered from 4 for 2 to post 351 for 7 against West Indies in the third ODI at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh on 3 October, the venue's first men's ODI. KL Rahul made an unbeaten 129, Rohit Sharma scored 92 and Ruturaj Gaikwad added 57, while West Indies put down at least six catches. India lead the series 2-0 and chose to bat.
| Innings summary | |
|---|---|
| Match | 3rd ODI, West Indies tour of India |
| Venue | Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, New Chandigarh |
| Date | 3 October 2026 |
| India | 351/7 (50 overs) |
| Top scorers | KL Rahul 129*, Rohit Sharma 92, Ruturaj Gaikwad 57 (69) |
| Best bowling | Jayden Seales 3/62 |
| West Indies target | 352 |
4 for 2
Jayden Seales, West Indies' best bowler of the series, struck twice in successive legal deliveries. Shubman Gill gloved one down the leg side, and Virat Kohli missed a straight ball and was out for a golden duck. India were 4 for 2, a sharp contrast with the first two matches, when they needed only four batters to finish the job.
The powerplay ended on 28 for 2, and India waited longer for a first boundary than they had in four years. Seales returned later with the old ball and removed Gaikwad with a delivery the batter could not handle, finishing with 3 for 62.
Rohit's rebuild and Gaikwad's luck
Rohit started watchfully, with 21 off his first 43 balls. He broke free in the 17th over off Alzarri Joseph, with a pulled six and a cover-driven four that took India's run rate past four for the first time. Then came young Vitel Lawes, who had earlier dropped Gaikwad off Joseph. Lawes served up two full tosses and a half-volley, and Rohit took 20 off eight balls.
Rohit fell for 92, eight short of what would have been a third hundred in four innings, when Keemo Paul drew a top edge from a pull. During the innings he also became the fastest opener to 10,000 ODI runs, getting there in 202 innings and beating Sachin Tendulkar's record of 214, set against Australia in Brisbane in January 2004. He needed just two runs at the start of the day. He is only the fourth opener to reach the mark, after Tendulkar, Chris Gayle (268 innings) and Sanath Jayasuriya (303 innings).
Gaikwad's 57 off 69 balls was a fifty with plenty of fortune: he was dropped four times. West Indies put down at least six catches in total, and their ground fielding and bowling lengths were inconsistent too.
Rahul's highest ODI hundred
Rahul, playing his only innings of the series, walked in during the 25th over. He began calmly, with 8 off his first 14 balls, then cashed in on Lawes's errors in length. Partners kept leaving. Naman Dhir looked superb in a 21-ball 30 before holing out to extra cover off Gudakesh Motie with India on 225 for 5 in 36 overs. Nitish Kumar Reddy then edged Paul to the keeper, leaving India 250 for 6 with nine overs left.
Rahul accelerated with the tail. He added 40 with debutant Anshul Kamboj, who hit sixes off Motie in the 44th over, and 61 with Gurnoor Brar. Rahul took 42 off the last 12 balls he faced, and India collected 50 in the last three overs, helped by West Indies' slow over rate, which meant an extra fielder inside the circle for those overs.
- The hundred Rahul's ninth ODI century and his highest score, with four of them from No. 5 in just 36 innings.
- The injury Jewel Andrew took the catch to dismiss Dhir but injured his finger and went to hospital for an X-ray, so Shai Hope was forced to open the chase in his place.
- The chase West Indies need 352 to win, with India already 2-0 up.
Why it matters
India lost two top-order wickets for four runs and still reached 351, because the middle order rebuilt and West Indies kept giving chances. The innings is a reminder that a total is shaped as much by the catches that go down as by the shots that are played.
Build an XI that survives 4 for 2
This innings is the BuildXI lesson about balance. You spin eleven real IPL squads from 2008 to 2025, take one player from each, and play a full season with the XI you end up with. When openers fall early, you need a No. 5 who can absorb pressure and still finish hard. The target is 14-0: fourteen league games, fourteen wins.