Former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen praised West Indies captain Shai Hope for his transformation in T20 cricket, suggesting that Hope’s participation in this year’s mini IPL auction could generate significant interest.
Hope’s 45-ball century and Sherfane Rutherford’s aggressive 84 helped West Indies chase down a target of 250 runs against India in the second T20 international in Ranchi, marking the highest successful T20I run chase for the West Indies and the second-highest overall, behind South Africa’s 259-run chase against the West Indies in 2023.
Hope extended his strong form against India during the tour by scoring his third combined ODI and T20I century, which includes two centuries in ODIs. Across the two T20Is so far, Hope has amassed 154 runs at a strike rate exceeding 187, with one century and one half-century.
Posting on X, Pietersen said, “If Shai Hope puts his name into mini IPL auction, there might be some paddles in the air from a few tables.”
From 2017 to 2023, Hope played 26 T20Is, accumulating 493 runs in 24 innings at an average of 22.41 and a strike rate of 124.49, including two half-centuries. His T20I performance has notably improved since 2024, with 1,404 runs from 46 matches at an average of 37.95 and a strike rate of 145.95, featuring two centuries and 11 fifties, with a highest score of 102 not out.
Hope ranks as the West Indies’ fifth-highest T20I run-scorer, with 1,897 runs in 72 matches at an average of 32.15 and a strike rate of 139.69, including two centuries and 13 half-centuries. He is the only player besides Chris Gayle and Evin Lewis to record multiple T20I centuries for the West Indies.
In 14 T20Is this year, Hope has scored 494 runs at an average of 44.91 and a strike rate of 145.72, with one century and four half-centuries, and a top score of 102 not out. Overall in T20 cricket, Hope has tallied 6,246 runs from 232 matches at an average of 31.86 and a strike rate of 129.63, including five centuries and 32 half-centuries, with a highest score of 118 not out.
During the match, West Indies won the toss and chose to field first. India posted 249 for five in 20 overs, boosted by innings from Sanju Samson (82 off 41 balls with nine fours and four sixes), Ishan Kishan (43 off 22 balls with six fours and two sixes), Tilak Verma (44 not out off 18 balls with three fours and three sixes) and captain Shreyas Iyer (40 off 18 balls with three fours and three sixes).
Despite India reducing West Indies to 58 for three in 5.1 overs, Hope (102 not out off 45 balls, with six fours and nine sixes), Rutherford (84 off 37 balls, with seven fours and seven sixes) and Romario Shepherd (34 not out off 13 balls, with three fours and three sixes) guided their team to victory in 18.3 overs with six wickets remaining.
The combined total of 501 runs is the second-highest aggregate in a T20I match, behind the 517-run encounter between West Indies and South Africa at Centurion in 2023. The match featured 79 boundaries (46 fours and 33 sixes), the third-highest boundary count in a T20I, following 81 boundaries (46 fours and 35 sixes) in the South Africa-West Indies match in 2023.