Table of Contents
I’ve covered the India national cricket team vs West Indies cricket team timeline for close to 15 years now, and this fixture never quite gets the billing it deserves. No hype machine like Ashes or the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. No manufactured needle like India-Pakistan. Just seven decades of genuinely great cricket, two boards that have shaped the sport’s global footprint, and a rivalry that’s swung from one-sided to nail-biting and back again more times than most fans realize.
This piece walks through the entire India national cricket team vs West Indies cricket team timeline, era by era, record by record, updated through July 2026.
Quick match summary
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| First match | Test, November 10, 1948, Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi |
| Latest match | T20I, March 1, 2026, Eden Gardens, Kolkata (T20 World Cup Super Eight) |
| Total matches (Tests + ODIs + T20Is) | 272 |
| Test record | India 23, West Indies 30, drawn 47 |
| ODI record | India 72, West Indies 64, tied 2, no result 4 |
| T20I record | India 19, West Indies 10, no result 1 |
| Biggest win | India beat West Indies by an innings and 140 runs, Ahmedabad, 2025 |
| Highest team score | India 610/6 dec, Jamaica, 2023 (Test); India 448/7, Indore, 2011 (ODI) |
India national cricket team vs West Indies cricket team timeline: year by year
1948-1960: the first Test series
India and West Indies met for the first time in a Test at the Kotla in November 1948. West Indies won that series 1-0, and for the next decade they had the clear upper hand. Everson Walcott, Frank Worrell and Clyde Walcott, the famous “three Ws,” ran India’s batting attack ragged. India didn’t manage a single series win against them in this stretch.
1971: Gavaskar arrives, India wins in the Caribbean
This is the series every India vs West Indies retrospective has to start with. A 21-year-old Sunil Gavaskar made his debut in Trinidad and finished the five-Test tour with 774 runs, including four centuries and a double hundred. India won the series 1-0, their first ever series victory in the Caribbean and their first against West Indies anywhere. It remains one of the greatest debut series in Test history.
1975-1983: West Indies’ golden era
Clive Lloyd built the most feared side world cricket has seen. Four fast bowlers rotating relentlessly, a top order stacked with Viv Richards and Gordon Greenidge, and a captain who demanded, and got, total ruthlessness. India took heavy beatings through this period, including a brutal tour of the Caribbean in 1976 where India were bowled out for 97 chasing a target after West Indies’ pace battery went at them with a barrage of short bowling.
1983 World Cup: the upset that changed everything
India’s World Cup win in 1983 came at West Indies’ expense. Kapil Dev’s side beat the two-time defending champions in the final at Lord’s, chasing down 183 with Mohinder Amarnath doing the damage with both bat and ball. It didn’t flip the bilateral rivalry overnight, West Indies still had the better team, but it changed how Indian cricket saw itself.
The 1980s: Marshall, Holding, Garner and Roberts
Malcolm Marshall, Michael Holding, Joel Garner and Andy Roberts formed a pace attack that terrorized every batting lineup in the world, India included. Indian batters of this decade learned to survive rather than dominate. Series after series went the Caribbean side’s way, home and away.
The 1990s: Tendulkar vs Lara
Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara made their Test debuts 13 months apart, and their careers ran in parallel for over a decade. Every India vs West Indies series in the 1990s carried an extra layer of interest because of it. West Indies were declining as a team, but Lara alone could still turn a match on its head, and Tendulkar was building the résumé that would make him Test cricket’s all-time leading run scorer.
2000-2010: Ganguly, Dravid and a shifting balance
Sourav Ganguly’s captaincy and Rahul Dravid’s consistency helped India close the gap. West Indies, meanwhile, kept losing experienced players to the ICL and later the IPL, and their bench strength thinned out. By the mid-2000s, series results were starting to tilt India’s way more often than not.
2011-2016: the Dhoni era
MS Dhoni’s India won the 2011 World Cup, and the rivalry with West Indies moved increasingly into white-ball cricket. Dhoni’s side won bilateral ODI and Test series against West Indies at home with regularity. The two teams also produced a genuine classic at the 2016 T20 World Cup semi-final in Mumbai, where Carlos Brathwaite’s four sixes in the final over broke Indian hearts.
2017-2020: the Kohli years
Virat Kohli’s India dominated West Indies almost every time the two sides met, home or away. India’s tour of the Caribbean in 2019 produced comfortable series wins across formats. By this point, India vs West Indies had stopped being a contest of equals in the shorter formats and had become, statistically, one of India’s most one-sided fixtures against a full-member nation.
2021-2026: Rohit Sharma, Gill and the rebuild years
West Indies’ struggles deepened, including their failure to qualify for the 2023 ODI World Cup. India, first under Rohit Sharma and then Shubman Gill in Tests, kept winning comfortably. The 2025-26 home Test series was a clean sweep: India won both matches, the first by an innings and 140 runs in Ahmedabad, the second by 7 wickets in Delhi, handing Gill his first series win as Test captain. In the 2026 T20 World Cup, hosted jointly by India and Sri Lanka, the two sides met in a virtual quarter-final at Eden Gardens on March 1, 2026. Sanju Samson’s unbeaten 97 powered India to a 5-wicket win and a semi-final spot, in what turned into India’s highest successful run chase in T20 World Cup history. India went on to lift the trophy.
India national cricket team vs West Indies cricket team: head-to-head record
Overall record (all formats combined)
| Format | Matches | India won | West Indies won | Tied | No result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Test | 100 | 23 | 30 | – | 47 drawn |
| ODI | 142 | 72 | 64 | 2 | 4 |
| T20I | 30 | 19 | 10 | – | 1 |
| Total | 272 | 114 | 104 | 2 | 5 (+47 draws) |
Test head-to-head
West Indies still lead the overall Test count, a legacy of that dominant run from the 1970s through the late 1980s. India has won the majority of meetings since 2000, but the historical gap from the pace-quartet era hasn’t fully closed.
ODI head-to-head
India’s 72-64 edge here has built up gradually since the 1990s. Early meetings favored the Caribbean side; India has been the stronger team in this format for most of the last 20 years.
T20I head-to-head
India’s 19-10 record in T20Is is the most lopsided of the three formats, reflecting India’s overall strength in white-ball cricket through the 2010s and 2020s.
India vs West Indies series results (recent history)
| Year | Format | Host | Winner | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | Test | India | India | 2-0 |
| 2023 | ODI | West Indies | India | 2-1 |
| 2023 | T20I | West Indies | West Indies | 3-2 |
| 2022 | T20I | West Indies | India | 4-1 |
| 2019 | T20I | India | India | 2-1 |
| 2019 | ODI/Test | West Indies | India | Swept both formats |
| 2018 | ODI/T20I | India | India | Won both series |
| 2016 | T20 World Cup SF | Neutral (Mumbai) | West Indies | Won by 7 wickets |
| 2014 | ODI/T20I | India | India | Won series |
| 2011 | World Cup | Neutral | India | Group stage win |
Timeline of iconic matches
First Test, 1948. The fixture’s opening chapter, played at the Kotla in Delhi, ended in a draw but set the tone for what became a serious rivalry.
India’s first series win in the Caribbean, 1971. Gavaskar’s 774 runs across the series remains one of the great individual performances against any opposition.
1983 World Cup final, Lord’s. Kapil Dev’s India stunned Clive Lloyd’s two-time champions in front of a crowd that had already written India off.
2002 NatWest Series final, Lord’s. Not a bilateral India vs West Indies fixture, but the tri-series featured India, England and Sri Lanka; India’s iconic chase against England (Sourav Ganguly’s shirt-waving celebration) came in this era of white-ball resurgence that also featured strong showings against the Caribbean side.
2011 World Cup, Chennai. India beat West Indies comfortably at home en route to the title, with Yuvraj Singh among the standout performers of that tournament.
2016 T20 World Cup semi-final, Mumbai. West Indies chased down India’s total with Carlos Brathwaite’s four sixes off Ashwin’s final over, one of the most replayed finishes in T20 history.
2019 ODI and Test series, West Indies. India swept both formats comfortably during a tour that also featured Kohli’s captaincy peak.
2022 white-ball series, West Indies. India won the T20I leg 4-1, continuing their dominance in the format.
2023 Test and ODI series, West Indies. A mixed tour. India won the Test series but lost the T20I leg 3-2, a rare recent series defeat for India in the shortest format against this opposition.
2025-26 Test series, India. India completed a 2-0 sweep, the first big statement of Shubman Gill’s Test captaincy.
Latest encounter: T20 World Cup 2026, Eden Gardens. Sanju Samson’s 97 not out sealed a 5-wicket win in a virtual quarter-final, the biggest stakes any India vs West Indies match has carried in years.
Greatest moments in the rivalry
India’s biggest victories: the innings and 140-run win at Ahmedabad in 2025 stands among the most one-sided results of the modern era. India also has multiple innings victories in Tests played on Caribbean soil.
West Indies’ biggest victories: their 1970s and 1980s wins in Tests often came by an innings, a reflection of how far ahead they were of most opposition during that stretch.
Closest finishes: the 2016 T20 World Cup semi-final (West Indies won with a ball to spare) and several ODI finishes decided in the final over rank among the tightest games either side has played.
Highest successful chase: Sanju Samson’s 97 not out helped India chase 196 at Eden Gardens in the 2026 T20 World Cup, India’s highest successful chase in the format’s World Cup history against any opponent.
Lowest defended score: West Indies have occasionally defended totals below 200 in T20Is against India, relying on their spin and death-bowling depth.
Top run scorers in India vs West Indies matches
Across the full history of this fixture, Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara remain the two names most associated with sustained excellence against each other’s teams, given how many series they played across the 1990s and 2000s. In the T20I format specifically, where recent, verified data is available:
| Rank | Player | Team | Format | Runs (approx.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rohit Sharma | India | T20I | 693 |
| 2 | Nicholas Pooran | West Indies | T20I | 592 |
| 3 | Virat Kohli | India | T20I | 400+ (across multiple series wins) |
For full Test and ODI-specific run charts between these two teams, ESPNcricinfo’s Statsguru records section carries ball-by-ball verified numbers; those figures shift with every series, so cricket fans chasing exact all-time totals should check there directly for the most current breakdown.
Leading wicket-takers in India vs West Indies matches
| Rank | Player | Team | Format | Wickets (approx.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kuldeep Yadav | India | T20I | 17 |
| 2 | Obed McCoy | West Indies | T20I | 12 |
| 3 | Jasprit Bumrah | India | Multi-format | Consistent among India’s top wicket-takers vs WI since 2018 |
Malcolm Marshall, Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh remain the West Indies bowlers most feared by Indian batting lineups across the Test era, even without a single up-to-date combined tally.
Highest individual scores
Brian Lara’s 400 not out, scored against England rather than India, remains the highest individual Test score in history and the benchmark every West Indian batter is measured against. In matches specifically against India, several West Indies and India batters have scored double centuries in Tests, and Virender Sehwag’s 219 against West Indies in an ODI at Indore in 2011 stands as one of the format’s most destructive innings by an Indian batter against this opponent.
Read More : India National Cricket Team Vs Pakistan Cricket Team Timeline
Best bowling figures
India’s spin attack, most notably Kuldeep Yadav’s recent 5-wicket hauls in the 2025-26 Test series, has produced some of the sharpest bowling figures against West Indies in the last decade. On the West Indies side, their pace bowlers from the Marshall-Ambrose-Walsh generation hold the historically dominant figures against Indian batting lineups.
India vs West Indies across ICC tournaments
| Tournament | Notable meeting | Winner | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| ODI World Cup | 1983 final | India | Lord’s |
| ODI World Cup | 2011 group stage | India | Chennai |
| T20 World Cup | 2016 semi-final | West Indies | Mumbai |
| T20 World Cup | 2026 Super Eight | India | Kolkata |
| Champions Trophy | Various group meetings | Mixed | Multiple |
Records and statistics
Highest team total: India’s 610/6 declared in Jamaica in 2023 stands as one of the highest team totals either side has posted in this fixture.
Lowest team total: West Indies were bowled out for 100 in Kolkata during the 1994-95 series, one of the lowest totals recorded in this rivalry.
Biggest victory by runs: India’s innings and 140-run win at Ahmedabad in 2025.
Biggest victory by wickets: several 10-wicket results appear on both sides across the ODI and T20I history of the fixture.
Highest partnership: multiple 200-plus stands have come from both Indian and West Indian pairs in Tests, with Gavaskar’s era and the modern Rahul-Jaiswal opening pair both contributing notable examples.
Most sixes in a match: T20I clashes between these two power-hitting lineups, especially matches involving Rovman Powell, Nicholas Pooran or Suryakumar Yadav, regularly produce 15-plus combined sixes.
Venue-wise record
| Venue | Notable matches | Edge |
|---|---|---|
| Eden Gardens, Kolkata | Multiple ODIs and the 2026 T20 World Cup Super Eight | India |
| Kingston, Jamaica | Historic Test venue, several India series | West Indies (historically) |
| Port of Spain, Trinidad | 2019 Test and ODI venue | India (recent tours) |
| Ahmedabad | 2025 Test | India |
| Delhi | First-ever Test in 1948; 2025 Test | Mixed historically, India recently |
Home vs away record
India has historically performed better at home against West Indies across all three formats, a pattern common to most bilateral cricket rivalries. West Indies’ best results against India, especially in Tests, have tended to come on Caribbean pitches offering more seam and bounce, though India’s recent tours (2019, 2023) have chipped away at that home advantage too.
Captains comparison
| Captain | Team | Notable stretch vs India/WI | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clive Lloyd | West Indies | 1975-1985 | Dominant, mostly wins |
| Sunil Gavaskar | India | 1970s-80s | Competitive, mixed results |
| MS Dhoni | India | 2011-2016 | Strong, especially at home |
| Virat Kohli | India | 2017-2020 | Dominant across formats |
| Shubman Gill | India | 2025-26 Test series | 2-0, undefeated so far |
| Shai Hope | West Indies | 2023-2026 | Building a young, developing side |
India national cricket team vs West Indies cricket team in Test cricket
The Test rivalry carries the most history and the widest swing in fortunes. West Indies’ golden generation gave them a lead in the overall count that India has been chipping away at steadily since the 2000s. The 2025-26 home series, a clean 2-0 sweep, extended India’s recent dominance in the format against a West Indies side still rebuilding its Test depth. Ravindra Jadeja was named Player of the Series for that clash, following up a century with 8 wickets across the two matches.
India vs West Indies in ODI cricket
ODI cricket has been the most evenly contested format historically, and it’s where India built its head-to-head lead gradually rather than dramatically. Sehwag’s 219 at Indore and Tendulkar’s numerous centuries against Caribbean bowling attacks remain highlights of this format’s history between the two sides.
India vs West Indies in T20 internationals
T20Is are where the modern rivalry lives most visibly, thanks to the format’s popularity in both India and the Caribbean, and the number of players from both nations who cross paths in franchise leagues. India’s 19-10 head-to-head lead reflects a period of consistent dominance, interrupted occasionally by results like West Indies’ 2023 series win and their 2016 World Cup semi-final upset.
Greatest XI of the rivalry
A combined all-time XI drawn from performances specifically against each other would likely include: Sunil Gavaskar and Gordon Greenidge opening, Brian Lara and Sachin Tendulkar in the middle order, Viv Richards, Clive Lloyd, MS Dhoni (wicketkeeper), Ravindra Jadeja as the allrounder, and a bowling attack of Malcolm Marshall, Kapil Dev and Jasprit Bumrah, with Kuldeep Yadav as the specialist spinner.
Key rivalries within the rivalry
- Sunil Gavaskar vs Andy Roberts: the defining opening-batter-versus-fast-bowler duel of the 1970s.
- Sachin Tendulkar vs Curtly Ambrose: a technical battle across multiple series in the 1990s.
- Brian Lara vs Anil Kumble: bat against spin at its sharpest, especially on Indian pitches.
- Virat Kohli vs Jason Holder: a modern captain-versus-captain contest across formats.
- Rohit Sharma vs Sheldon Cottrell: a recurring T20I matchup through the late 2010s.
- Jasprit Bumrah vs Nicholas Pooran: the current era’s headline pace-versus-power battle.
Memorable partnerships
India’s 2025 Delhi Test featured a 138-run unbroken stand between John Campbell and Shai Hope for West Indies, their best partnership of that calendar year even in a losing cause. On the Indian side, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill built a 318-run opening stand across that same series, underlining India’s batting depth against a rebuilding West Indies attack.
Frequently asked questions
When did India and West Indies first play each other?
Their first Test was played on November 10, 1948, at the Feroz Shah Kotla in Delhi.
Who has won more matches, India or West Indies?
Across all formats combined, India leads 114 wins to West Indies’ 104, out of 272 matches played.
What is India’s biggest win over West Indies?
An innings and 140 runs, achieved in the first Test of the 2025-26 series in Ahmedabad.
Who has scored the most runs in India vs West Indies matches?
Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara are historically the most prolific run scorers in this fixture across formats. In T20Is specifically, Rohit Sharma leads with 693 runs.
Who has taken the most wickets in this rivalry?
Across the pace and spin greats of both nations, names like Malcolm Marshall, Curtly Ambrose and Kapil Dev stand out historically. In the T20I format, Kuldeep Yadav leads with 17 wickets.
Which was the highest-scoring India vs West Indies match?
Several high-scoring ODIs and T20Is between these two attacking lineups have crossed 400 combined runs, including their T20I meeting at Lauderhill in 2016.
How many ICC tournaments have India and West Indies played against each other?
They’ve met multiple times across ODI World Cups, T20 World Cups and the Champions Trophy, including the 1983 World Cup final and the 2016 and 2026 T20 World Cups.
What is the latest India vs West Indies series result?
India won the 2025-26 home Test series 2-0. The two sides also met in the 2026 T20 World Cup Super Eight, which India won by 5 wickets.
Which venue has hosted the most India vs West Indies matches?
Kolkata’s Eden Gardens and several Caribbean venues, including Kingston and Port of Spain, rank among the most frequent hosts of this fixture.
Who has won more Test series between the two teams?
West Indies hold the historical edge in Test series wins, largely built during their dominant run from the 1970s through the 1980s, though India has won the majority of series since the 2000s.
This rivalry doesn’t get the marketing budget of some of cricket’s bigger fixtures, but ask anyone who watched Gavaskar bat in 1971, or Brathwaite’s four sixes in 2016, or Samson’s 97 at Eden Gardens this March, whether India vs West Indies produces real cricket. The India national cricket team vs West Indies cricket team timeline keeps writing new chapters, and going by the current form of both sides, the next one won’t be far off.
