Shai Hope has been absolute menace for the Indian team. The West Indies captain has shown remarkable consistency in their ongoing tour of India so far, smashing three hundreds – two in winning causes – across T20Is and ODIs. With the IPL 2027 auction coming in less than two month’s time, Hope strengthened his case for the franchises with his batting heroics.
His latest statement came in Ranchi in the second T20I on Thursday, when Hope struck his second T20I hundred off just 45 balls to spearhead the West Indies’ record chase of 250 against India, sealing a victory with nine balls to spare and levelling the five-match series 1-1.
It was the West Indies‘ highest successful chase in T20 internationals and the highest successful run-chase against India in the format. Earlier, Hope ha scored a hundred in the first T20I. His highlight of the tour came in in the third ODI, where the right-hander’s 162 not out led the visitors to a successful 352-run chase.
Batting paradise at Holkar Stadium
Hope would be licking his hands when he comes on to bat at the Holkar Stadium in Indore in the third T20I. With shorter boundaries on offer and the kind of form he is in, Hope will be aiming to carry on his momentum with the bat and put on another spectacular display with the willow.
Hope’s latest exploits carry added significance given the criticism he has faced over his strike rate, particularly in T20 cricket. Having played just one IPL season, for Delhi Capitals in 2024, he went gone unsold thereafter.
His strike rate also came under scrutiny during the T20 World Cup 2026, particularly against India, when he scored 32 off 33 balls at the top of the order as the West Indies posted 195/4 at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. India chased down the target with four balls to spare.
What India need to do to stop Shai Hope?
There is no secret that Indian bowlers have struggled to contain Hope in the last four games – second and third ODIs, and first and second T20Is. Without Jasprit Bumrah, the Indian bowlers against West Indies across formats looked bleak, causing a major headache for Gautam Gambhir.
In all of Hope’s hundred, the Indian bowlers were guilty of giving Hope space to play his shots. If not dismissed early in Indore, Hope might once again punish the hosts at the batting-friendly Holkar Stadium.
It would be interesting to see how Hope counters India in Indore.