West Indies win with eight wickets / Image - "X" formally Twitter

India suffered their first T20 series defeat to the West Indies since 2017 in the fifth T20I match on August 13, in Lauderhill, Florida. The West Indies won the match with 8 wickets to spare and took the series title (3-2).

India's captain Hardik Pandya chose to bat first against the West Indies in the fifth and final match after winning the toss.India managed to post a total of 165/9 in 20 overs, thanks to Suryakumar Yadav's composed knock of 61 runs off 45 balls. In reply, Brandon King (85 not out), along with Nicholas Pooran (47) helped the opponents secure an eight-wicket victory. 

After India's loss, former Indian cricketer Venkatesh Prasad, called Indian Team captain Hardik Pandya "clueless". "India needs to improve their skillset. There is a hunger and intensity deficiency and often the captain looked clueless. Bowlers can’t bat, and batsmen can’t bowl. It’s important to not look for yes men and be blinded because someone is your favourite player but look at the larger good," Prasad wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter).

"Not just 50 overs, West Indies had failed to qualify for the T20 World Cup last Oct- Nov as well. It pains to see India perform poorly and brush it under the carpet, under the garb of the process. That hunger, fire is missing and we live in an illusion," he further wrote.

 "We lost the momentum when I came in and couldn't capitalize on the momentum. We try to get better. On the positive side, we have got a lot of learnings. The boys showed character and credit to them. Every youngster who is coming in is showing character and I can't be more happy when I see a youngster coming in and putting his hand up,” Skipper, Pandya said.

Ireland will be India's next opponent in a three-match T20I series. The first of the three T20Is will take place on August 18 in Malahide, Dublin, and the subsequent games will be played there on August 20 and August 23.