A few hours ago, Amir Jangoo, who had spanked the bowlers earlier in October thanks to three fifty plus knocks in as many ODIs, struck a fine 133 in a Sylhet Test match versus Bangladesh with West Indies 1-up in the two-game series. In the same Test, Kavem Hodge, usually the recurring phenomenon at #5 who’s often had to deal with doubts over his place in the team, struck 142.
Test debutant Kevin Wickham, meanwhile, hit 61 and 78 facing 252 deliveries, collectively, in that very Test. For a young generation from the West Indies often chastised for wanting to largely hit its way out of the park instead of showing patience at the crease, the youngster showed maturity far beyond his years proving the general feeling that West Indians only attack and play crude is, but a bias.
But here’s where it gets interesting, especially for the Caribbean fan.
Even before arriving in Bangladesh for the Tests, despite losing the one day series to India by 2-1, the West Indies showed audaciousness with the bat firing 5 one day centuries in the 3 games. They also avoided the T20 whitewash, which many of their critics had handed them before they even competed in that series.
Lovers of the Hollywood film The Hunt for Red October would have observed that during the India v Windies series held in October, the hunter largely became the hunted.
Operating in the territory of Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan the Windies curbed the menacing charge of the T20 World Cup winning side that’s ranked 2 in the format.
That India didn’t rattle West Indies despite playing on home was shocking to many.
After all, the present day Windies neither features a single matchwinning name from the 2016 WC winning era nor boasts the familiar power of Pooran or his famous compatriot, former Windies captain, Pollard.
While India tried all in its might to pull down the visitors deploying besides an array of big hitters, an army of spin and medium pacers- Axar, Arshdeep, among the others- it simply couldn’t.
Lest we forget, the West Indies had not one T20I overlord with the bat like Gayle, Bravo, Russell or even Narine.
However, what it did have and in plenty was the self belief in its abilities to compete with a powerhouse to emerge unscathed.
It had a certain Shai Hope in their ranks.
The man who has reminded even the game’s staunchest critic that to overcome Goliath you don’t need mayhem making physical prowess or the hype that often rests with the “bigger” team.
What matters is being that David who refuses to give up, even with the odds stacked against your favour.
Not once before the 2026 T20I series had the West Indies ever emerged undefeated in bi lateral games held in India.
This time, under Shai Hope’s captaincy not only did West Indies emerge 2-2 with a game spoilt by inclement weather, they earned the respect of the Indian fan who’s grown habitual of his country trouncing nearly every opponents who comes playing here.
Hitting 4 centuries from 7 white ball outings in what can be called an unforgettable tour to India, including an undefeated 162 in the 3rd ODI at New Chandigarh, Shai Hope sizzled and slaughtered an unsuspecting attack whose biggest foe was this feeling that it had all under control.
The West Indies built key stands around notable comrades in its ranks, such as Justin Greaves, John Campbell, Amir Jangoo with Shai Hope’s two centuries in three games standing as a tall reminder to not treat the present day Caribbean side any lightly.
Of his 539 runs scored in India- let that number not be forgotten- 156 came by way of sixes. The right hander hit 26 sixes, to be precise.
He was selfless in that he continued to bat watchfully at 4 when for much of his career Hope’s played as the opener.
He was ruthless in toying with even established names like Patel, Siraj among the others.
And make no mistake; the West Indies captain looked at the economic powerhouse at the global level straight into its eye without blinking for a moment out of pressure.
But valiance and single minded focus have their reward.
The man once considered too slow for white ball format and one whose 70 + rates of scoring in fifty over cricket were deemed unattractive, boring even has come a long way.
This is no randomspeak or fanboy talk!
The man whose selection in the national side’s shortest T20I side today bosses the very format wearing the West Indies burgundy while exasperated bowlers usually sport a scorn.
Back then, it was being said- why have Hope in T20Is for the West Indies?
Today, Shai Hope has gone past 2,000 runs already in the format leaving Gayle, Hetmyer, Samuels, Brathwaite, Russell, among the others behind.
The technically correct batter who made a name by sticking at the wicket, has scored more hundreds than even the mighty Lara in ODIs for his West Indies. The Barbadian’s 21 in comparison to the stylish Trinidadian’s 19 offer comfort in the belief that for as long as one stays committed to the craft, results come. At times, in the form of eminent records!
But all’s not alright with the West Indies cricket, in general and how can it always be that way?
The departures of established players, the exodus of talent towards franchise leagues and the inconsistency of its bowling have made it quite hard to build a settled white-ball unit.
However, Shai Hope, 6590 ODI runs and now, with a beaming return even to the Test fold ever since the gritty double century in New Zealand in 2025, has offered stability.
Much like how during Lara’s time, it would be the Trinidadian’s talent pushing the case for an insipid looking West Indies, Hope’s disposition to calmness and technique have offered a method to the madness that the West Indies show on the ground.
The disappointment of 2023- wherein the two time ODI World Cup winning side failed to even qualify for the eminent event- still remains a defining chapter.
But one whose disappointment Shai Hope didn’t succumb to but used as a reason to further up his game and contributions to his team.
He’s come a long way since the twin hundreds at Leed’s, Headingley. He’s hit a gritty century at the Arun Jaitley stadium in Delhi 2026 against a Bumrah-led attack and shown he belongs at the test level.
He’s hit a century on his maiden ODI tour to Pakistan against an Afridi led attack with Babar as his opposite number, struck a brilliant century in his one hundredth ODI, in which he made 115 valuable runs and shown patience and power an co exist in an age that equates watchfulness with accumulation of dot balls.
That said, the West Indies is often thought of more in terms of its glorious bygone era than the transformation evident at the moment. One begrudgingly undervalues the present day side as being significantly le…
