West Indies dominate Italy, enter Super Eight unbeaten.
West Indies faced Italy in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 on Wednesday, February 18, at Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
Match Summary
Earlier, Italy won the toss and chose to bowl first.
Batting first, Shai Hope delivered an outstanding performance. He scored 75 runs off just 46 balls and anchored the innings.
Rutherford (not out) added a quick 24 runs off 15 balls towards the end, giving the team a nice boost.
Roston Chase managed to score 24 runs off 15 balls, while Matthew Forde added 16 runs off 8 balls.
For Italy, spin bowlers Crishan Kalugamage and Ben Manenti both took two wickets.
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Italy struck early in the powerplay. They removed two top-order batters and briefly slowed the West Indies scoring rate.
However, the middle order responded well. Contributions from Roston Chase, Jason Holder, and Matthew Forde helped stabilize the innings. Their efforts guided West Indies to a competitive total.
West Indies finished with 165 runs in their 20 overs.
Chasing 166, Italy had a steady start. Ben Manenti and JJ Smuts led the innings early on.
Manenti top-scored with 26 runs off 21 balls. Smuts added 24 runs from 27 deliveries.
Anthony Mosca provided a late push. He scored 19 runs off 12 balls and tried to build momentum.
Despite these efforts, Italy kept losing wickets at regular intervals. This made it difficult for them to chase the target.
Italy were bowled out for just 123 in 18 overs, as West Indies sealed a comfortable 42-run victory.
West Indies bowlers dominated the second innings. Shamar Joseph led the attack with figures of 4/30.
He received strong support from Forde, who took 3/19, and Gudakesh Motie, who claimed 2/24.
West Indies eventually secured a comfortable win and strengthened their position in the tournament.
West Indies disciplined attack sealed a dominant 42-run win and an unbeaten group-stage finish.
Player Of The Match
Shai Hope
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