The West Indies entered their final group-stage clash against Italy at Eden Gardens, aiming to complete an unbeaten run. On paper, it looked straightforward. On the field, however, Italy had other ideas. Despite flashes of Caribbean power-hitting, Italy’s discipline — especially in the field — kept the contest alive. The turning point came in the 16th over when Crishan Kalugamage produced a moment that shifted momentum dramatically.
After already pulling off a stunning catch earlier in the innings, Kalugamage delivered a fast, full ball angled into West Indies skipper Shai Hope, who was anchoring the innings beautifully on 75. Shai Hope attempted a hard sweep, dropping to one knee, but missed completely.
The ball crashed into the stumps as Kalugamage broke into celebration, capping off a brilliant all-round spell. It was a massive breakthrough, especially with Hope looking set for a match-defining hundred. Italy’s fielding had been electric throughout the innings. In the previous over, Kalugamage had already made headlines by dismissing Rovman Powell with a spectacular running catch at deep backward square.
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Off Ben Manenti’s length delivery, Powell mistimed his shot, and Kalugamage — a former track and field athlete — sprinted to his right before completing a well-judged grab. In the process, he appeared to jar his finger but showed no hesitation in returning to bowl crucial overs.
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Adding to Italy’s defensive masterclass was a stunning boundary save where Kalugamage glided across the turf and kicked the ball away from the rope, saving two vital runs and frustrating the batter.
West Indies eventually posted 165/6 in 20 overs. After early setbacks that reduced them to 31/2, Hope steadied the innings with a composed 75 off 46 balls. Roston Chase added 24, while late cameos from Sherfane Rutherford (24* off 15) and Matthew Forde (16* off 8) lifted the total past 160.
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Ben Manenti claimed two key wickets, but Kalugamage was the standout performer with 2/25, underlining Italy’s fighting spirit in a high-pressure group-stage encounter.
