In the boisterous gardens of Eden, West India put in a clinical all-round performance to beat Italy 42 runs in the 37th match of Group C ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. After being asked to bat first, the Caribbean side posted a competitive 165/6 in 20 overs before restricting Italy to 123 in 18 overs. Shai Umid‘s elegant 75. match won him the Player of the Match award Shamar Yusif‘s fiery four-wicket haul provided no late twist in the tale.
Shai Hope guides West Indies to a competitive total
It got off to a shaky start as the West Indies were set to sink after Italy’s selection Brandon King fell early for just four runs. Shimron Hetmyer couldn’t make an impact either, he went for a single run, leaving his batting in need of stability.
Umid took a nice step to the event. Calm under pressure, he put together crucial partnerships and paced his shots to perfection. His 75 off 46 with six boundaries and four powerful sixes was a blend of composure and calculated aggression. found able support in it Roston ChaseFixed 24 off 25 delivery contributor.
Although Rovman Powell couldn’t turn the start, Shefane Rutherford He gave momentum to the innings with a nimble knock of 24 from just 15 balls. Late bloom has arrived Matthew Forde16 off eight balls, including three crisp boundaries, total 160 over.
for Italy, Ben Manenti and Crishan Kalugamage while impressed with two wickets Ali Hasan and Thomas Jack Draca chopped with each. Despite their disciplined spells at various stages, they struggled to contain Hope during their superior batting.
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A West Indies bowling attack led by Shamar Joseph shattered Italy’s chase
Chasing 166 on a surface that favors both spinners and pacers, Italy never really found momentum. Justin Mosca cheaply dismissed and yet Anthony Mosca Counter-attacking with 12 off 19 balls, the West Indies bowlers continued to strike at regular intervals.
JJ Smuts tried to close the innings with 24 off 27 deliveries but the required rate kept rising. Manenti hit a fighting 26 off 21 balls and Grant Stewart‘s seven from 12 briefly raised hopes, but Italy lacked a sustainable partnership.
Shamar Yusif he was a standout performer with the ball. His quick pace and sharp variations cracked the backbone of Italy’s middle and lower order, taking four wickets for 30 runs. Matthew Forde He completed it brilliantly with three wicket claims for just 19 runs. Gudakesh Movement he went to life with two scalps Akeal Hosein chopped with one. Italy were eventually bowled out for 123 in the 18th over, falling well short of the target.
West Indies beat Italy by 42 runs to maintain 100% win record in 2026 T20 WC 🏏#WIvsITA #T20WorldCup2026 #CricketTwitter pic.twitter.com/6kCIqEE46g
— CricketTimes.com (@CricketTimesHQ) February 19, 2026
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