Shai Hope did not shy away from responsibility after West Indies’ T20 World Cup campaign ended with defeat to India in Kolkata, admitting his 33 ball 32 in the must win Super Eight clash may have left his side short of a defendable total.
“ Yes, I’ll take the blame,” Hope said after West Indies posted 195 and watched India chase it down with four balls to spare. His innings included 17 dot balls and only 10 attacking shots, a tempo he acknowledged fell below his usual standards.
“I should have batted a lot faster,” Hope admitted. “I don’t think I was batting badly. It’s just one of those days when you hit it to the fielders. Sometimes you just don’t get the ball away.”
Hope and Roston Chase had put on 68 for the first wicket, reaching 45 without loss in the powerplay. While the middle order later unleashed a flurry of sixes to add 163 runs in the remaining overs, Hope conceded that greater fluency early might have changed the equation.
He credited India’s bowling for maintaining pressure but stopped short of dwelling on regret. “With the batting depth we have, I don’t see it as a big issue. But obviously, I was trying for a lot more. Those are the standards we set.”
Despite the elimination, Hope reflected positively on the tournament. He highlighted West Indies’ dominance in the group stage, where they claimed 38 of a possible 40 wickets, and praised contributions across departments.
“I think the guys represented the region well,” Hope said. “We’re all going to go home with our heads held high.”