India Player Ratings from 5th T20I vs West Indies as Hardik Pandya and Co. crumble in Florida to concede series
Team India suffered their first T20I series defeat under Hardik Pandya's leadership as West Indies hammered the visitors by eight wickets in the fifth and final encounter at Lauderhill in Florida on Sunday.
After Hardik won the toss and elected to bat, India turned in a disappointing batting display, with Suryakumar Yadav being the only batter to cross the 30-run mark. The hosts made a mockery of the 166-run chase, with Brandon King and Nicholas Pooran's well-paced innings sealing the deal with two overs to spare.
On that note, here are India's player ratings from the fifth T20I against West Indies.
IND vs WI 2023: Team India come apart in deciding clash
Yashasvi Jaiswal: 2/10
Jaiswal couldn't carry his form from the fourth T20I into this one, making just five runs before handing Akeal Hosein a return catch. He could've taken a couple of deliveries to get used to the pace of the wicket, at least against spin.
Shubman Gill: 1/10
Gill was trapped in front while playing a sweep and didn't take the review, even though replays suggested that the ball would've missed leg. His fourth single-digit score of the series left India in heaps of trouble.
Sanju Samson: 3/10
Samson had ample time to make an impression but failed to notch up a meaningful score despite striking two boundaries early on. The wicketkeeper just hasn't been able to come good in the T20I format and desperately needs to have a productive series against Ireland.
Suryakumar Yadav: 8.5/10
Suryakumar was the only Indian batter to cross the 30-run mark as he struck four fours and three sixes in his well-paced 45-ball 61. He was trapped lbw by Jason Holder off a dipping full-toss at an inopportune time as the Men in Blue struggled to accelerate at the death.
Hardik Pandya: 1/10
Hardik had a miserable outing on all fronts in Florida - batting, bowling, and captaincy. He dug himself into a hole with the bat and failed to make up for it while conceding 32 runs in his three overs. The less said about the skipper's tactics, the better.
Axar Patel: 4/10
Axar was once again left to bat with the tail, hitting one six before holing out. He bowled one uneventful over when the game as a contest was already over.
Tilak Varma: 8/10
Tilak notched up India's second-highest score of the innings, hitting three fours and two sixes in his 27. He also picked up the vital wicket of Nicholas Pooran and could've had another in his maiden stint with the ball in international cricket. The southpaw finished the series as his team's standout performer.
Yuzvendra Chahal: 0/10
Chahal bowled one of the worst spells of his T20I career. The leg-spinner dished out freebie after freebie in Florida to be hit for a whopping 51 runs. The sooner India move on from him, the better.
Kuldeep Yadav: 8/10
In stark contrast to his spin-bowling partner, Kuldeep delivered a superbly economical spell. Knowing the danger he posed, the West Indian batters tried not to take undue risks against his bowling. The left-arm wrist-spinner has become an invaluable asset in white-ball cricket.
Mukesh Kumar: 4/10
Mukesh had barely any runs to work with. He bowled one over and conceded 10 runs.
Arshdeep Singh: 5/10
Arshdeep dismissed Kyle Mayers once again, but his radar was slightly off. The left-arm seamer ended up leaking 20 runs in the two overs he bowled, with Hardik Pandya not going back to him after the powerplay.