Former Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin has endorsed West Indies captain Shai Hope as a strong candidate for the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) auction, suggesting Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), the two-time defending champions, as a potential team for him.
Hope has been in exceptional form in India, recently achieving his fourth century of the white-ball tour during the fourth Twenty20 International (T20I) at Hyderabad. He scored an unbeaten 102 runs off 50 balls, including four boundaries and nine sixes. Demonstrating consistent performance, Hope has accumulated two centuries each in the One Day International (ODI) and T20I series, along with five scores over fifty in seven matches. His efforts have positioned him as a leading figure as West Indies aim to qualify for the 2027 Cricket World Cup through qualifiers and regain a top-tier status in international cricket.
Hope also became the fourth West Indies player to reach 2,000 runs in T20 Internationals. His performance has markedly improved since 2024; while he scored 493 runs in 26 matches between 2017 and 2023 at an average of 22.41, he has since made 1,511 runs in 48 matches with an average of 39.76 and a strike rate approaching 149, including three centuries and eleven fifties.
Speaking on his YouTube channel Ash ki Baat, Ashwin said, “Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) could be an option for him because they have both Phil Salt and Jacob Bethell. Bethell batted reasonably well, but do they need to have another option there? Maybe, maybe not. So, honestly, should Shai Hope play in the IPL? Is he deserving? Absolutely. In my mind, he would be a number-one player. Will he be picked in this auction? He definitely should be, and I am hoping he will be.”
Hope made his IPL debut in 2024 with Delhi Capitals, scoring 183 runs in nine innings at a strike rate of 150.00, with a highest score of 41. Despite this, he has not yet established a significant presence in the league. Ashwin expressed concerns about Hope’s suitability for batting positions number three or four in the IPL but acknowledged it remains a possible role.
He added, “He is not finding a place in the first XI of any squad, so that is a cause for concern. He will always get a place at number three or four, but is he suited to that role? He is probably not suited to that role, but he is an option. Will a team break the bank for him? I hope so, but it is unlikely. Most teams have their opening slots fixed with overseas players, so I think it will depend more on the combinations they are looking for.”
Hope is currently enjoying his best year in T20 Internationals, amassing 601 runs in 16 innings at an average of 50.08 and a strike rate exceeding 152, including two centuries and four fifties. Across all formats this year, he has scored 1,336 runs in 29 matches at an average of 55.66 and a strike rate of 92.01, with five centuries and seven fifties.
In India, Hope is West Indies’ top run-scorer and the second-highest overall run-scorer in ODIs during the series, accumulating 278 runs in three innings at an average of 139.00, including two centuries and a highest score of 162 not out in the final ODI in Assam. He also leads the T20I run charts with 261 runs in four innings, comprising two centuries and a fifty. Overall, across seven innings, Hope has scored 539 runs at an average of 134.75, including four centuries and one fifty.
His record against India across all formats stands at 1,961 runs in 45 matches and 49 innings, with an average of 47.82. His tally against India includes eight centuries and six fifties, with a highest score of 162 not out.