Shai Hope and Shamar Joseph seal comfortable Caribbean victory
Cricket fans in Odisha and across the globe witnessed an exciting game of cricket today. West Indies defeated Italy by 42 runs in their ICC T20 World Cup 2026 Group C encounter at Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
Italy won the toss and decided to bowl first, hoping to take early wickets. West Indies managed to post a highly competitive total of 165 for 6 in their 20 overs. Captain Shai Hope led his team by example with an absolutely spectacular knock. He smashed 75 runs off just 46 balls. His explosive innings entertained the crowd with six beautiful boundaries and four massive sixes. Shai Hope brilliant batting completely shifted the momentum of the game. Roston Chase and Sherfane Rutherford also contributed crucial runs to the scoreboard. Rutherford remained unbeaten with a quick 24 off 15 balls, while Matthew Forde fired a rapid 16 at the very end. For the bowling side, Crishan Kalugamage and Ben Manenti claimed two wickets each, but they could not restrict the powerful Caribbean hitters.
Chasing 166 runs for victory, Italy struggled to build any meaningful partnerships. Matthew Forde struck early to dismiss Justin Mosca, putting Italy on the back foot during the powerplay. From there, Italy kept losing wickets rapidly. Ben Manenti top-scored with 26 runs from 21 balls, and JJ Smuts scored a slow 24. They simply could not handle the sheer pace and accuracy of the Caribbean bowling attack.
Shamar Joseph four wickets totally destroyed the Italian middle and lower order. He finished his fantastic spell with outstanding figures of 4 for 30. Matthew Forde offered fantastic support, picking up three wickets for only 19 runs. Spin bowler Gudakesh Motie also joined the party by taking two important wickets. Italy eventually folded for just 123 runs in exactly 18 overs.
This West Indies vs Italy T20 World Cup game showed exactly why the Caribbean squad is highly feared in this format. Cuttack sports lovers and Bhubaneswar cricket enthusiasts closely following the live action certainly enjoyed every moment. Shai Hope secured the Player of the Match award, giving his team a massive confidence boost as they move forward in the tournament.
Image Source: ESPN / ICC
