West Indies Stage Dramatic Comeback with Holder and Shepherd in T20 World Cup
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
Ahmedabad, Feb 26 (NationPress) Jason Holder and Romario Shepherd spearheaded a remarkable recovery for the West Indies, who managed to score 176/8 in their 20 overs against South Africa during their second Super 8s clash in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Thursday.
Opting to bat first, West Indies captain Shai Hope initiated a strong start, scoring 16 runs off just four deliveries against leg spinner Keshav Maharaj. The aggressive batting continued as Brandon King launched three consecutive boundaries off Marco Jansen in the second over.
However, the game took a dramatic turn in the third over when Rabada sent both captain Shai Hope (16) and in-form batter Shimron Hetmyer (2) back to the pavilion in a single over, marking him as the second-highest wicket-taker for the Proteas in T20 World Cup history with 32 wickets.
Ngidi maintained the pressure, claiming King, who scored 21 runs off 11 balls, and also dismissed Roston Chase in the same over, leaving the West Indies struggling at 52/4 at the end of the powerplay.
Things didn’t improve post-powerplay as Corbin Bosch dismissed Sherfane Rutherford in his first over after conceding a six. Ngidi struck again, sending captain Rovman Powell to the pavilion in the ninth over, leaving the team in dire straits at 82/6.
The 2024 T20 World Cup runners-up extended their grip on the game when Bosch dismissed Matthew Forde in the 11th over.
Despite a shaky start, former captain Holder partnered with Shepherd to lift the team to a competitive total, forming a stellar partnership of 89 runs.
Shepherd reached his fifty in just 37 balls, finishing not out at 52 with three fours and four sixes, while Holder fell just short of a half-century, scoring 49.
Ngidi was the standout bowler for South Africa, ending with impressive figures of 3-30, while Rabada and Bosch each took two wickets.
Brief Scores: West Indies 176/8 in 20 overs (Romario Shepherd 52*, Jason Holder 49; Lungi Ngidi 3-30, Kagiso Rabada 2-22, Corbin Bosch 2-31) against South Africa.