West Indies fend off spirited Italy to extend unbeaten run

In a dominant display at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata, West Indies comfortably defeated Italy by 42 runs in their final Group C fixture of the 2026 ICC Men's T20 World Cup to top the table.

Having already secured their place in the Super 8s, the Caribbean side maintained their unbeaten streak by successfully defending 165 on a high-scoring ground on the back of Shamar Joseph (4-30) and Matthew Forde's (3-19) excellent show with the ball.

After Italy won the toss and elected to field, their bowlers justified the decision early on by removing Brandon King and Shimron Hetmyer cheaply. However, West Indies captain Shai Hope stabilised the innings with a masterful 75 off 46 deliveries, punctuated by six boundaries and four sixes. Hope found support in Roston Chase, and the pair added 64 runs for the third wicket.

A late-innings wobble saw the West Indies slip from 95 for 2 to 115 for 5 courtesy the twin strikes from Ben Manenti. Sherfane Rutherford (24* off 15) and Forde (16* off 8) provided a vital flourish in the closing overs to guide their team to a fighting total of 165 for 6. Nonetheless, Italy would have been the happier side at the halfway mark having largely contained the explosive batting to a manageable total.

However, Italy's chase struggled to find momentum against a clinical West Indian bowling attack. Forde struck early to dismiss Justin Mosca and Syed Naqvi, leaving Italy reeling at 61 for 4 at the halfway mark with PowerPlay wickets once again forcing a slow-down. Even though JJ Smuts (24 off 27) and Manenti (26 off 21) provided some resistance in the middle order, the required run rate continued to climb beyond reach.

The match was effectively ended by Joseph, who produced a sensational spell to claim 4 for 24. Additionally, he recorded a rare feat of also claiming four catches to go with his four wickets - a first across men's and women's T20Is.

Italy were eventually bowled out for 123 in 18 overs. Hope bagged the Player of the Match for his decisive half-century, ensuring the West Indies moved into the next round as one of the tournament's most formidable teams.

Brief scores: West Indies 165/6 in 20 overs (Shai Hope 75; Crishan Kalugamage 2-25, Ben Manenti 2-37) beat Italy 123 all out in 18 overs (Ben Manenti 26, JJ Smuts 24; Shamar Joseph 4-30, Matthew Forde 3-19) by 42 runs