Kolkata, February 19 – Despite West Indies securing a dominant 42-run victory against Italy in their last group stage match of the 2026 T20 World Cup, played at Eden Gardens on Thursday, captain Shai Hope expressed his dissatisfaction with his team's batting performance, particularly during the powerplay. The win kept West Indies undefeated and propelled them into the Super 8s.
After losing the toss and being put in to bat, West Indies posted 165/6 in 20 overs, with captain Shai Hope leading the way with a fluent 75. This total proved more than enough, as fast bowler Shamar Joseph starred, taking four wickets to bowl out Italy for 123 in 18 overs.
Reflecting on the innings, Hope felt that his team could have pushed harder with the bat despite achieving a competitive score.
"I thought the pitch was pretty good. I thought we should have scored more, especially considering how the other wickets played, particularly in the first couple of overs. I also said before that it's a bit different when you have a few wickets down. And in that situation, I just felt that we could have put more pressure on the innings, especially with the field," Hope said.
West Indies lost a couple of early wickets but were steadied by Hope's authoritative innings, before late contributions from Rutherford and Forde ensured a defendable total. However, the captain stressed the importance of being more forceful in similar situations going forward.
"We need to ensure that if we face that situation again, we play our best and be more aggressive. But when the time comes, we need to capitalize on those opportunities," he said.
The West Indies bowlers kept Italy under pressure throughout the chase, regularly striking to prevent partnerships from developing. Hope credited the bowling unit's growing confidence and consistency.
"They are very good. They are executing really well, not just in this tournament, but even from a few series ago. We are taking the necessary steps. I just feel that the confidence and clarity that we are finding in our bowlers gives us a much clearer execution," he said.
With the two-time champions finishing the group stage with a perfect record, Hope emphasised the need to stay grounded and focused on the present.
"I always look at the present, you know, those things that we need to focus on. Yes, we need to learn from these experiences and use them to gain the momentum that we are looking for. But again, this is T20 cricket. You need to bring your best game to the tournament, especially the Cricket World Cup," he said.
As the West Indies head into the Super 8s unbeaten, Hope said the team would continue to take things one game at a time. "So, as much as we have depth, we need to keep winning. Four out of four is a good result. We need to be consistent. So, let's just take it one day at a time. Let's see if we can do it," he concluded.
The West Indies will now head to Mumbai, where they will play their first Super 8 match against Zimbabwe at the Wankhede Stadium on Monday.
