T20 World Cup 2026 | '32 off 33 balls': WI skipper Shai Hope takes blame for loss vs India
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "T20 World Cup 2026 | '32 off 33 balls': WI skipper Shai Hope takes blame for loss vs India")
West Indies' captain Shai Hope Photograph: (AFP)
India’s five-wicket victory over the West Indies secured them a place in the semi-finals. They will now face England at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday.
West Indies captain Shai Hope reacted strongly to a reporter after his team lost to India in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 on Sunday (Mar 1) at the Eden Gardens. The Men in Blue defeated the West Indies by five wickets in their final Super 8 match to reach the semi-finals. It was not a good day for Hope, as he managed to score only 32 runs from 33 balls before being bowled by Varun Chakravarthy.
After the match, Hope was asked if he felt responsible for not scoring faster and whether his slow innings affected the team’s total. At first, he said he could have increased his scoring rate earlier. But when the same question was repeated, he replied in a sharp tone, saying he would take the blame if that was what people wanted to hear.
“You all make me laugh, man. Yes, I'll take the blame if that's what you want me to say. I should have batted a lot faster. That's what you wanted me to say. But in situations like this, when you're struggling, everyone struggles. But like I said, I don't think I was batting badly. It's just that I was hitting the fielders and then trying to play the situation a bit more. Obviously, I wanted to bat a little bit deeper into the innings and face most of the spin threat in the middle. But I just didn't get going today. But yes, I'll take the blame. So that's what you want me to say,” Hope said at the post-match press conference.
During the match, Hope started the innings very slowly, making only two runs from his first eight balls. He later hit Hardik Pandya for a six and a four to build some momentum, however, he found it difficult to score against the spinners and was eventually bowled. He also shared a 68-run opening partnership with Roston Chase, who scored 40 from 25 balls.
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The West Indies finished with 195/4 in 20 overs. But the total proved insufficient, as Sanju Samson scored an unbeaten 97 from 50 balls to help India chase the target in 19.2 overs and move into the semi-finals. India will now face England at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday.
