KOLKATA, India — West Indies captain Shai Hope has insisted that his team’s uneven form throughout 2026 will not dictate their fate at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, stressing that the global tournament represents a clean slate and a renewed opportunity.
The West Indies launched their bid for an unprecedented third T20 World Cup title with a convincing 35-run victory over Scotland at Eden Gardens on Saturday, a performance that immediately shifted focus away from recent disappointments and toward renewed belief.
Match-winning performances set the tone
The opening success was built on standout contributions from Shimron Hetmyer and Romario Shepherd. Hetmyer anchored the innings with a fluent 64, while Shepherd produced a devastating spell with the ball, claiming five wickets for 20 runs to dismantle the Scottish chase.
The win, however, was just the Caribbean side’s third T20 international victory in eight matches this year, including a warm-up fixture against Afghanistan. It followed bilateral series defeats to Afghanistan and South Africa last month, as well as a 3-1 T20I series loss to New Zealand in December.
“This is a World Cup we’re playing”
Speaking at the post-match press conference, Hope acknowledged the team’s recent struggles but emphasized that the World Cup demands a different mindset.
“That is my focus here today. We started the tournament; this is a World Cup we’re playing,” Hope said. “Yes, you have to look at what happened in the past, but our main focus was to start the tournament well and continue the momentum for as long as we can and see how deep we can go in the tournament, and hopefully, at the end, we can lift the trophy again similarly to what the guys did back in 2016.”
Hope was equally candid about the challenges the team has faced.
“We can’t hide from the truth. We haven’t had the success that we would have liked in the last few bilateral series, but again, the main focus is here on this World Cup. Put the past in the past, and let’s make sure that we do the business here in India,” he said.
Familiar ground, powerful memories
Eden Gardens holds special significance for West Indies cricket, having been the venue where they secured their second T20 World Cup title in 2016 with a dramatic four-wicket victory over England.
Hope said beginning the current campaign at the same historic ground provided an added psychological lift, particularly with members of the 2016 triumph still embedded within the setup.
Experience adds confidence in the dressing room
Head coach Daren Sammy, along with players Johnson Charles and Jason Holder, were all part of the 2016 championship team, and Hope believes their presence continues to resonate within the squad.
“If we were placed at a different venue, the same mindset would have applied, the same plans, maybe slightly different depending on the type of surfaces that you’re playing on,” Hope explained.
“But we have a few members in our squad who have been a part of that, from the coach to a couple players in Johnson Charles and Jason Holder, so that does instil some extra confidence in the dressing room and a bit of experience as well.”
Hope added that lived experience of winning on the biggest stage can be invaluable.
“Being in that position, knowing what it feels like to lift the trophy, just trying to share that amongst the group, I’m sure the guys are really ready to go, but it’s a good feeling to have two guys who’ve been there and done that in a sense.”
