In the buzzing Eden Garden, west indies Clinical all-round performance to defeat Italy Lost by 42 runs in the 37th match of Group C ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. Invited to bat first, the Caribbean team posted a competitive score of 165/6 in 20 overs and then bowled out Italy for 123 runs in 18 overs. shy hopeDue to his brilliant innings of 75 runs, he got the Player of the Match award. Shamar JosephA strong four-wicket haul ensured there was no late twist in the tale.
Shai Hope takes West Indies to a competitive score
After Italy chose to bowl, West Indies got off to bat and got off to a bad start. brandon king Was out early on just four runs. Shimron Hetmyer also failed to make an impact, departing for one run, leaving the innings in need of stability.
Hope rose to the occasion beautifully. Calm under pressure, he made important partnerships and played his innings to perfection. His innings of 75 runs in 46 balls with the help of six fours and four sky-high sixes was a mixture of composure and calculated aggression. they received competent support in Roston ChaseWho contributed 24 consecutive runs in 25 balls.
Although rovman powell Couldn’t change my beginning, Sherfane Rutherford Gave momentum to the innings by playing a quick inning of 24 runs in just 15 balls. late bloomer Matthew FordeWhose 16 runs in eight balls, which included three brilliant fours, took the total score beyond 160.
to Italy, ben manenti And chrisan kalugamage While both impressed by taking two wickets each Ali Hassan And thomas jack drake Paired with each other. Despite his disciplined spells at various stages, he struggled to contain Hope during his impressive innings.
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West Indies bowling attack led by Shamar Joseph demolished Italy’s target
Chasing 166 on a surface that offered little assistance to spinners and fast bowlers alike, Italy never found the momentum. Justin Mosca got out cheaply, and although anthony mosca The West Indies bowlers, who counter-attacked by scoring 19 runs in 12 balls, kept attacking at regular intervals.
JJ Smuts tried to take control of the innings by scoring 24 runs from 27 balls, but the required rate kept rising. Manenti played a fighting inning of 26 runs in 21 balls and grant stewartA cameo of 12 from seven provided brief hope, yet Italy lacked sustained partnerships.
Shamar Joseph He was an excellent player with the ball. His fast pace and sharp variations saw him take four wickets for 30 runs in four overs, breaking the backbone of Italy’s middle and lower order. Matthew Forde He played a great role by taking three wickets for only 19 runs. gudakesh pearl While also made significant inroads with two scalps Akil Hossein Paired with one. Italy were eventually all out for 123 in the 18th over, falling well short of the target.
West Indies defeated Italy by 42 runs and maintained their 100% win record in the 2026 T20 World Cup.#WIvsITA #T20WorldCup2026 #crickettwitter pic.twitter.com/6kCIqEE46g
– CricketTimes.com (@CricketTimesHQ) 19 February 2026
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