KL Rahul’s unbeaten 129 powers India to 2‑1 series win over West Indies

KL Rahul’s unbeaten 129 and milestone

KL Rahul remained not out on 129 runs off 87 balls, striking 10 fours and six sixes, marking his ninth ODI century and taking him past 10,000 international runs [source]. After electing to bat, India lost early wickets to Jayden Seales, who removed Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli in the third over. Rohit Sharma (92 off 85 balls, 10 fours, three sixes) and Ruturaj Gaikwad (57 off 69 balls, one four, four sixes) steadied the innings with a 137‑run stand for the second wicket. Rahul then took charge, reaching his century in 80 balls before accelerating in the final stages, adding 21 runs from the last over. He brought up his ninth ODI ton in style, pulling Seales over fine‑leg for a six and later launching another maximum towards the sight screen, taking India past the 350‑run mark.

Match scorecard and key partnerships

India posted 351 for seven, built around Rahul’s 129 not out, Rohit Sharma’s 92 and Gaikwad’s 57 [source]. West Indies chased the target successfully, reaching 352 for five thanks to Shai Hope’s unbeaten 162 (143 balls, 17 fours, three sixes), Amir Jangoo’s 67 (56 balls, five fours, a six) and Keemo Paul’s 44 (35 balls, five fours). Hope set the tone in the PowerPlay with exquisite shots through covers, down the ground and off the pads, then partnered with Jangoo for a 109‑run stand off 99 deliveries. After Jangoo was run out, Paul contributed a quickfire 44 before Hope dug deep despite fatigue, hitting a six and a four off Kuldeep in the 46th over and adding boundaries off Gurnoor Brar and Anshul Kamboj to reach 150. Hope finished the chase emphatically, sealing a record‑breaking five‑wicket victory.

Series result and context

Despite losing the final ODI by five wickets, India won the three‑match series 2‑1, having earlier victories in Thiruvananthapuram and Guwahati [source]. The match was held on 3 October 2026 at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur. India’s earlier wins in the series came from those venues, securing the series triumph even after the final‑over loss.

Search interest

Google Trends India recorded a 1000 % growth in searches for “kl rahul” around the match date, reflecting heightened public interest [source].