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West Indies' Power-Play Collapse Seals Fate in T20 WC Loss to South Africa

West Indies captain Shai Hope pinpointed the loss of four wickets in the Power-play as the decisive factor in their heavy nine-wicket defeat to South Africa in the T20 World Cup Super 8s. A recovery from Jason Holder and Romario Shepherd helped post 176, but it proved insufficient as South Africa chased it down comfortably. Hope also criticized his bowling unit's lack of execution, which allowed the South African batters to score freely. The loss sets up a do-or-die quarter-final-like encounter for the West Indies against India in their next match.

Key Points: West Indies' Power-Play Woes Lead to T20 WC Defeat

  • Early collapse cost West Indies
  • Holder & Shepherd led a fightback
  • Markram's knock sealed the chase
  • Bowling execution was lacking
  • Must-win vs India next
2 min read

T20 WC: 'Losing so many wickets in Power-play cost us,' says Shai Hope after loss against South Africa

Skipper Shai Hope rues early wickets as South Africa cruise to a 9-wicket win. West Indies face a must-win clash against India next.

T20 WC: 'Losing so many wickets in Power-play cost us,' says Shai Hope after loss against South Africa
"Losing so many wickets in the Power-play cost us. We were 40-50 short. - Shai Hope"

Ahmedabad, Feb 26

West Indies skipper Shai Hope has admitted that losing four wickets in the Power-play while batting first turned out to be a crucial moment in their staggering nine-wicket defeat to South Africa in the Super 8s clash in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Thursday.

The West Indies posted 176/6 in 20 overs while batting first, with the help of a great comeback led by former captain Jason Holder and Romario Shepherd, but it was not enough as South Africa achieved the score in just 16.1 overs with the help of a brilliant knock by captain Aiden Markram.

"Very important to get a big score, and losing so many wickets in the Power-play cost us. We were 40-50 short. Must commend the guys in the bottom half for giving us a chance, never know things could have changed. This pitch was probably better for batting than Mumbai. The ball was coming on nicely; there wasn't any purchase there when we bowled, and you could play through the line," he said after the match.

Hope also feels that the execution of the bowlers was not right, which led to batters scoring the runs easily.

"I just think we need to ensure we play; it's just about execution. We have all the right people in our arsenal to make sure that we can play whatever conditions we're faced with. Again, you can have things in your favour as a bowling unit, but if you're not executing, then you're still going to give the batters your opportunities to score," he said.

With this loss, the next match against India will be a do-or-die encounter for the West Indies team. Hope said that the team will shift their focus to the next game, which would be like a quarter-final.

"Sometimes it's good to have a loss earlier in the campaign, but now we see the importance of this next game, and it's important for us to make sure we hit our shots well. And we've got to use it as a point as well, our first final and hopefully a few more after that," he concluded.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

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Priya S
Markram was simply brilliant. But honestly, 176 at the Narendra Modi Stadium is not a safe total these days. The outfield is so quick. West Indies bowling lacked penetration. Their next match is against India... that will be a real challenge for them. Hope they come prepared!
A
Aman W
As an Indian fan, I'm more focused on our own team's strategy, but this was a good match. Shows how crucial the powerplay is in T20. One bad over and the match slips away. Credit to SA for a clinical chase. Windies need to sort their top order before facing Bumrah & co.
S
Sarah B
Respect to Shai Hope for an honest assessment. Many captains would just blame the pitch or luck. He owned the poor powerplay and the bowling execution. That's good leadership. The "do-or-die" match against India in Ahmedabad will be a spectacle! Can't wait.
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Vikram M
They were 40-50 runs short, as Hope said. On these flat Indian wickets, you need 200+ to feel safe. Their middle order saved them from complete embarrassment. Now they face India... good luck dealing with our spinners on *any* pitch! 🇮🇳
K
Karthik V
With all due respect to Hope's comments, I feel the West Indies team management needs to look at their selection. They have power-hitters but lack anchors. In Indian conditions, you sometimes need someone to play a long innings, not just go bang-bang from ball one. Just my two paise.

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