Shreyas Iyer Praises Prince Yadav’s Late Cameo as India Beat West Indies by 14 Runs

Indore, October 12, 2026: India captain Shreyas Iyer praised pacer Prince Yadav for his valuable late contribution with the bat after India defeated the West Indies by 14 runs, crediting the lower-order runs and disciplined bowling for the victory.

India posted 223 runs after a strong second-wicket partnership between Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan, who added 108 runs. However, a middle-order collapse saw India lose momentum before Prince contributed 13 runs and Arshdeep Singh added 11 to provide a crucial late boost.

The additional runs proved decisive as West Indies mounted a late challenge. Shamar Springer smashed 22 runs in the final over, including three sixes and a four, but India held on to secure the win.

Speaking after the match, Iyer praised his bowlers for their clarity, confidence and execution under pressure. He said the players understood their responsibilities and were prepared to take on the challenge whenever the ball was handed to them.

Iyer also lauded Abhishek and Kishan for giving India a strong start, highlighting their attacking approach during the powerplay and their ability to put pressure on the opposition. He credited the middle order for stabilising the innings despite the loss of wickets.

“Even Prince coming and playing that cameo at the end, those were useful runs, I felt,” Iyer said, emphasising the importance of the lower-order contributions in taking India to a competitive total.

The India captain acknowledged the quality of the West Indies batting line-up, describing its players as potential game-changers. Looking ahead to the upcoming matches at Hyderabad’s Uppal Stadium and Bengaluru’s M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, he stressed the importance of sticking to established routines while maintaining an aggressive approach.

West Indies captain Shai Hope, who scored five runs, said the result was decided by small margins. He felt his team could have executed its bowling plans better and prevented some boundaries that allowed India to build a stronger total.

Hope, however, praised his team for fighting back after India moved to 115/1 before slipping to 135/5. He credited Roston Chase and the bowlers for taking wickets and bringing West Indies back into contention.

The West Indies skipper admitted that the failure of the top order, including himself, made the chase more difficult. He said a stronger start could have given the middle order a better platform to pursue the target.

Hope also observed that the pitch became drier as the innings progressed, making batting more challenging. He credited the Indian bowlers for executing their yorkers effectively under pressure.

Despite Springer’s late hitting, India’s earlier batting contributions and execution with the ball proved enough to seal a 14-run victory.