India’s fielding lapses once again came under the spotlight during their crucial Super 8 clash of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 at Eden Gardens against the West Indies cricket team. The high-stakes contest was virtually a quarterfinal, with the winner set to secure a semifinal berth against the England cricket team at Wankhede Stadium three days later.
The West Indies opted for a fresh opening combination, promoting captain Shai Hope alongside Roston Chase. Chase initially struggled to find rhythm but soon shifted gears with a flurry of boundaries, putting early pressure on the Indian bowlers. Hope, however, looked far less comfortable at the crease. His timing appeared off, particularly against his tricky matchup with left-arm spinner Axar Patel, who kept things tight through the middle overs.
India’s breakthrough finally arrived through the mystery spin of Varun Chakravarthy. After enduring expensive spells in the previous two matches, the leg-spinner delivered a crucial moment of redemption. On the fifth delivery of the ninth over, Chakravarthy produced a delivery that completely outfoxed Hope.
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Hope shuffled across the crease, attempting to access the off side from the leg stump. However, the ball skidded off the surface and angled back sharply. It sneaked under the bat and crashed into the middle stump, ending the West Indies captain’s scratchy stay at the crease.
Varun strikes, and Eden Gardens erupts! 🌪️
The bowling change does the trick for #TeamIndia as skipper Shai Hope walks back! ☝️
ICC Men’s #T20WorldCup, SUPER 8, #INDvWI | LIVE NOW ➡️ https://t.co/Y26WH6p8dS pic.twitter.com/rPIjxyNNaS
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) March 1, 2026
The dismissal brought relief to the India national cricket team, who had earlier missed opportunities through a dropped catch and a couple of half-chances for a run-out. Hope walked back after scoring 32 runs from 33 balls, an innings that included three boundaries and a six but never quite gathered momentum.
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At the other end, Chase continued to look fluent. He remained unbeaten on 38 from just 22 deliveries, striking five fours and a six, as Shimron Hetmyer arrived at the crease to push the innings forward.
Among the Indian bowlers, Jasprit Bumrah conceded seven runs in his opening over, which also featured a costly dropped catch. Meanwhile, Arshdeep Singh impressed during the power play, returning tidy figures of 0/13 from his first two overs.
