Former Indian World Cup winner Krishnamachari Srikkanth has openly blamed West Indies captain Shai. The hope is that his team will suffer a heartbreaking five-wicket defeat at the hands of the defending champions in the Super 8 match of the T20 World Cup 2026 at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on March 1.
Shai Hope struggled badly on a flat pitch made for big shots and could score only 32 runs in 33 balls. He never seemed free. He never looked dangerous. His slow innings badly affected the team, as West Indies could not cross the 200-run mark in the do-or-die Super 8 encounter against India.
Nevertheless, Roston Chase’s brilliant 40 off 25 balls against India was followed by big hitting from Rovman Powell (34*) and Jason Holder (37*) as West Indies reached 195/4 in 20 overs. Later, Sanju Samson (97*) gave victory to the defending champions with four balls to spare in Kolkata.
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After West Indies missed out on a place in the semi-finals, Hope admitted that he could have scored faster. But when journalists questioned him again, he angrily said that if it made people happy then he would take the blame. Srikant did not like that answer.
Kris Srikkanth criticizes Shai Hope for slow batting and avoiding responsibility
The former Indian captain criticized Hope’s batting and captaincy. He said that Hope wasted balls and slowed down the innings. He also accused him of focusing on other players instead of taking full responsibility for his team’s failure in the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup 2026.
Srikanth also questioned the decision to make Hope the captain and said that the team had to pay the price of poor leadership in a do-or-die match. Notably, Hope managed only 62 runs in three matches in the Super 8 round after a good performance in the group stage of the tournament.
“He plays every match just for himself. In the post-match interview, he was trying to blame Powell and Holder by saying that they did not score enough in the end. You were the ones who finished off West Indies with your batting. Still, he never blamed himself. Making you captain was the biggest mistake,” Kris Srikkanth said in a video posted on his YouTube channel.
Kris Srikkanth criticizes Shai Hope for captaincy mistakes
The former Indian chief selector also attacked Shai Hope’s captaincy call. He said that despite getting some turn from the pitch, the captain used his three spinners for only six overs in total. He also believes that power hitter Romario Shepherd should have opened the innings against India instead of Hope.
Srikkanth said, “Shai Hope playing in the 11 is a waste in itself. He should stay in as a non-playing captain. He should only give instructions. He was just wasting the balls with the bat. Someone else could have done the same. You could have also sent Romario Shepherd to open in his place.”
Kishore Shallow praises West Indies for strong T20 World Cup 2026 campaign
Interestingly, Cricket West Indies (CWI) President Kishore Shallow has praised the West Indies team for a strong fight in the tournament. He congratulated Captain Hope and the players for reaching the Super 8 stage and said it showed how serious they were towards their goal.
Shallow also said that the team showed tremendous unity and fighting spirit. He also said that his performance has given new hope and confidence to fans throughout the Caribbean and has brought glory back to West Indies cricket.
Also read: Anil Kumble breaks West Indies into pieces after negative mindset against India
