India vs West Indies: Virat Kohli scored a fine half-century in the second T20I.© BCCI
Virat Kohli will be unavailable for the third and final Twenty20 International against the West Indies, scheduled to take place at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Sunday, sources told NDTV on Saturday. The former India captain has been given a break from the Indian team’s bio-bubble by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and will not take part in the match. According to news agency PTI, wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant too will be afforded a break from the bio-bubble life and he will also miss the third T20I against the visiting West Indies team.
Virat Kohli had hit a fine half-century in the second T20I on Friday night to help India beat the West Indies by eight wickets.
The win meant that India clinched the three-match T20I series with a game to spare. The dead rubber on Sunday could be a chance for the Indian team to test its bench strength.
The victory on Friday also helped India become only the second team in men’s T20I history to win 100 matches. Pakistan were the first team to achieve the feat.
In the second T20I, half-centuries from Virat Kohli (52 off 41 balls) and Rishabh Pant (52 not out off 28 balls) helped India post 186 for five after they were put into bat.
Nicholas Pooran (62) and Rovman Powell (68 not out) led the West Indies’ charge in the chase. It seemed like the visitors would reach the target without much fuss but some fine death bowling by Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Harshal Patel put the brakes on West Indies’ scoring rate.
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In the end, despite losing just three wickets, West Indies fell short by eight runs as India sealed yet another series win at home.
(With PTI inputs)
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