Daren Sammy praises Shimron Hetmyer’s blazing form at 2026 T20 World Cup
Daren Sammy said that the West Indies team is fully ready for the Super 8 match against India at Eden Gardens. The head coach also expressed his satisfaction with Shimron Hetmyer’s stunning form.
The explosive batsman has so far amassed 221 runs at an average of 44.20 and a blistering strike rate of 182.64 in six matches during the ongoing 2026 T20 World Cup.
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Daren Sammy said at the pre-match press conference: “His mentality has meant he has had a good run. This is the most relaxed he has ever been. He is enjoying the game. His batting has sent a lot of positive messages around the group.”
Special plans ready for Varun Chakravarthy
A big challenge will be Indian mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy, but Sammy said West Indies have clear plans for each bowler. He added: “We have our plans against every bowler. We want to play a complete game. It is a battle of who executes. I expect it to be an exciting game.”
Speaking on the Eden Gardens pitch, the West Indian coach admitted that the first few overs will be very important, and his team will have to quickly understand how the wicket is behaving and adapt their game to take control of the match against the defending champions.
Daren Sammy sends a strong warning to India ahead of the Super 8 clash
Daren Sammy commented: “The first few overs will be very important. We have to assess the wicket very quickly. All my soldiers are ready for battle tomorrow. The message is clear: leave everything in Ahmadabad and concentrate solely on what we have to do against the Indian team.”
Moreover, the former captain, who won two T20 World Cup titles, reminded everyone of the West Indies’ past record in India and ordered his team to forget the embarrassing loss against South Africa and focus only on this Super 8 match.
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The West Indies coach said: “I love being here in Kolkata. The great West Indies teams have won in India. They have left a mark on the generations that came after them. We have to go to India tomorrow. I use my experience, when I was here before, about how good Eden Gardens has been for us. Hopefully that will carry over into the performance.”
Daren Sammy admits South Africa failed as West Indies target semi-final
Sammy admitted that the West Indies’ bowling was ordinary against South Africa, but they have done an exceptional job against the rest of the teams, picking almost 48 wickets in previous matches. Now he wants full commitment and strong execution against India.
He concluded by saying: “Barring South Africa, we have done well in most of the matches. From the 50 before that, we have about 48 wickets. It was a tough defeat against SA, and we are ready to respond to that. All hands on execution tomorrow.”
Notably, West Indies had finished the group stage of the ongoing 2026 T20 World Cup unbeaten before their record-breaking win over Zimbabwe, followed by a heavy defeat against South Africa in the Super Eight matches. If they beat India, they will qualify for the semi-finals of the mega event.
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