T20 World Cup 2026: Hope hails collective effort as West Indies makes Super 8s
It has been a memorable outing for the West Indies in the ongoing T20 World Cup. Having won all the three matches so far, it has booked a berth in the Super Eight stage, and captain Shai Hope is happy with the way the players have contributed to the team’s success.
Leading from the front, Hope, too, returned to form on Sunday as his unbeaten 61 guided West Indies to a nine-wicket win against Nepal. “I’m not sure I’m a big fan of the word form, because we are all international cricketers, we can get big runs one day and then the next day we can get a first ball (dismissal),” Hope said.
“It’s just about understanding what’s really working for you on the day and as a team head, I define who’s going well and try to support it, and vice versa. If someone’s not going as well as they would like (to), the others pull them along.”
The West Indies will now travel to Kolkata for its last group league fixture against Italy. And, Hope made it clear that the collective effort has been the key to success. “It’s good to see everyone chipping in in different and various ways. It’s not the same person necessarily performing every game, so it’s a good sign from the team standpoint,” Hope added.
READ | Jason Holder: Getting four wickets in a World Cup a bit special
‘Sorry to all Nepalese fans’
Meanwhile, Nepal’s seasoned campaigner Sompal Kami apologised to the Nepalese fans for failing to live up to the expectations. Thousands of fans thronged the Wankhede Stadium for all its games, but after a narrow defeat against England, Nepal lost the plot and ended up being eliminated from the tournament with a couple of below-par performances against Italy and the West Indies.
“The way we played against England and how we played today was totally different and we are upset. We just wanted to say sorry to all the Nepalese cricket fans and we hope to come back strongly for sure,” Kami said.
Nepal will face Scotland in the final league game on Tuesday.
Published on Feb 15, 2026
