Keemo Paul scripts history, becomes first West Indies bowler to claim multiple five-wicket hauls in Men’s T20Is

Hyderabad : The ongoing T20I series between India and West Indies has turned into a run-fest, with 200-plus totals proving difficult to defend.However, West Indies seamer Keemo Paul made a decisive impact and etched his name in the record books with a match-winning five-wicket haul of 5/41 in the fourth T20I in Hyderabad, helping his side secure a 24-run victory and level the five-match series 2-2. He became the first West Indies bowler to register multiple five-wicket hauls in men’s T20Is, joining an elite group of seamers from Full Member nations to achieve the feat, including Lasith Malinga, Umar Gul, Tim Southee, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mustafizur Rahman. Paul also became only the second bowler to claim a five-wicket haul against India in men’s T20Is, following compatriot Obed McCoy, who recorded remarkable figures of 6/17 in Basseterre in 2022.A sensational century from Shai Hope and a match-winning five-wicket haul by Keemo Paul powered West Indies to a 24-run victory over India in the fourth T20I in Hyderabad on Wednesday, levelling the five-match series 2-2 and setting up a series decider in Bengaluru on October 17. Hope’s explosive knock helped West Indies post a massive 247/3, while Paul returned figures of 5/41 to derail India’s chase of 248 despite a spirited fightback from the hosts. India slipped to 130/5. They had got going with Sanju Samson’s 56 off 23 balls and were kept alive by a crucial partnership between Tilak Varma and Nitish Kumar Reddy, but Romario Shepherd’s dismissal of Tilak proved decisive as the hosts fell short. With the series on the line, both sides will now turn their attention to the fifth T20I at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.