‘250? Cool’: Shai Hope Turns Tables On Shubman Gill With Icy-Cool Instagram Dig After West Indies’ Win

Shai Hope had an icy-cold response ready for Shubman Gill after West Indies pulled off a six-wicket victory over India in the second T20I in Ranchi on Friday, October 9.

After Gill's understated Instagram caption following India's record-breaking ODI chase, the West Indies captain had the perfect opportunity to return the favour.

Gill had made headlines after India chased down 406 against West Indies in the second ODI. The Indian captain scored an unbeaten 223 off 133 balls as India reached 406/2 in 43.3 overs to win by eight wickets. West Indies had posted 405/7 in their 50 overs, but India completed the chase with 39 deliveries remaining.

Gill was named Player of the Match for his innings and later shared photographs from the match on Instagram with the caption, "406? Cool."

The two-word response became a talking point after India's successful chase of the imposing target.

Hope responded after West Indies completed a successful chase of their own in the second T20I. The West Indies captain scored an unbeaten 102 off 45 balls as his team chased down India's target of 250 in 18.3 overs, winning by six wickets with nine balls remaining.

Hope took to Instagram after the victory, mirroring Gill's earlier caption with a simple, "250? Cool."

The victory levelled the five-match T20I series at 1-1.

How Did West Indies Win The Second T20I?

India posted 249/5 in 20 overs, with Sanju Samson leading the scoring with 82 off 41 balls. Shreyas Iyer and Tilak Varma also contributed towards the end of the innings, with Tilak hitting three consecutive sixes in the final over.

West Indies lost three wickets early in the chase, slipping to 58/3 in the sixth over. However, Hope and Sherfane Rutherford put together a 120-run partnership to bring the visitors back into contention.

Rutherford scored 84 off 37 balls, striking seven fours and seven sixes. Hope supported the assault before accelerating during the latter stages of the innings, keeping West Indies on course for the target.

After Rutherford was dismissed, Romario Shepherd added 34 off just 13 deliveries to maintain the momentum. Hope remained unbeaten on 102, hitting six fours and nine sixes at a strike rate of 226.67.

The West Indies captain completed his century off 45 balls and guided his team to 252/4 in 18.3 overs. West Indies scored 204 runs through boundaries alone, compared to India's 148.

Roston Chase Restricts India With Three Wickets

Roston Chase returned figures of 3/24 in four overs to restrict India's scoring during the middle overs. He dismissed Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan and Shivam Dube.

India had made a strong start through Samson, who capitalised on early opportunities to score 82. However, Chase's spell slowed India's progress and prevented the hosts from building further momentum in the middle overs.

Mayank Yadav also took three wickets, finishing with figures of 3/36 in three overs. He claimed two wickets in the opening over and struck again at the start of the sixth over.

Despite the early breakthroughs, Hope and Rutherford helped West Indies recover and maintain the required scoring rate. India will now take on West Indies in the third T20I on Sunday, 11 October.