The West Indies secured a convincing 42-run win against Italy in the T20 World Cup 2026 group stage match at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens. Captain Shai Hope’s impressive 75 runs off 46 balls played a pivotal role in the West Indies’ total of 165/6 in 20 overs. Hope’s partnership with Roston Chase and late contributions from Sherfane Rutherford and Matthew Forde bolstered their innings.
Italy struggled in their chase, losing three wickets early on and failing to recover. Despite efforts from Ben Manenti and Grant Stewart, the West Indies bowlers, led by Shamar Joseph’s four-wicket haul and support from Matthew Forde and Gudakesh Motie, restricted Italy to 123 all out in 18 overs.
The match witnessed notable performances, with Shamar Joseph making history by being the first player to take 4 wickets and hold 4 catches in a T20I match. Additionally, Shamar Joseph joined a select group of non-wicketkeeper fielders to secure 4 catches in a T20 World Cup match, alongside Darren Sammy, Aiden Markram, Glen Maxwell, and George Munsey.
Shai Hope’s 75 runs marked his 11th half-century in T20Is out of 64 matches, with this being his 3rd in 7 T20 World Cup appearances. Shamar Joseph’s bowling figures of 4/30 against Italy stand as his best performance in 19 T20I matches, surpassing his previous best of 3/30 against Pakistan in Lauderhill in 2025.
