The West Indies are through to the Super Eight of the T20 World Cup unbeaten, after a commanding 42-run victory over Italy in Kolkata on Thursday.
Batting first, the Windies posted 165 for six from their 20 overs, led by Shai Hope’s 75, with support from Sherfane Rutherford and Roston Chase.
Italy were then bowled out for 123 in 18 overs, as Shamar Joseph grabbed four wickets and Matthew Forde picked up three.
The result sees the regional side completing their Group C campaign with four straight wins.
West Indies captain Shai Hope expressed measured satisfaction after his team’s victory over Italy, noting that while the win was important, there is still room for improvement.
“The pitch was decent, but we should’ve scored a bit more,” Hope said.
“It’s different when you face unfamiliar bowlers, and we could’ve put more impetus in the middle overs. We have to find ways to be more forceful when crunch time comes.”
Hope praised standout performances, highlighting Forde and Shamar for executing their roles effectively.
“The confidence and clarity in our bowlers gives us clear execution. It’s about doing it over and over,” he added.
The captain emphasized the importance of maintaining momentum through the tournament.
“You’ve got to bring your A-game. We have batting depth, but we need to be smart and clinical with our strokeplay, capitalizing on every delivery,” Hope said.
Attention now turns to the Super Eight phase, where West Indies face Zimbabwe on February 23 at the Wankhede, South Africa on February 28 in Ahmedabad, and India on March 1 at Eden Gardens.
