West Indies Set 166-Run Target for Italy in T20 World Cup Clash Led by Captain Hope's Half-Century

Kolkata. A half-century from captain Shai Hope helped West Indies set a target of 166 runs for Italy. This is the first time these two teams have faced each other in a T20 International.

In the match held in Kolkata under Group C, West Indies, batting first after losing the toss, scored 165 runs for the loss of 6 wickets in the stipulated 20 overs. Captain Hope scored 75 runs off 46 balls, hitting 6 fours and 4 sixes during his innings.

The team did not have a good start to the match. Brandon King was out for only 4 runs in the second over. Shimron Hetmyer also could not stay long, returning to the pavilion after scoring just 1 run in the fifth over.

After that, Hope, along with Roston Chase, moved the team forward. Chase scored 24 runs, hitting 2 fours off 25 balls. After that, West Indies lost wickets continuously.

In the 15th over, Rovman Powell was out for 9 runs, and in the next over, Hope was also forced to return to the pavilion after being bowled. Jason Holder also managed only 9 runs. Towards the end, Sherfane Rutherford contributed 24 runs, and Matthew Forde added 16 runs.

For Italy, Crishan Kalugamage took 2 wickets, conceding 25 runs in 4 overs. Ben Manenti provided good support by taking 2 wickets. Ali Hasan and Thomas Drakar took 1 wicket each.

The West Indies team remains undefeated in this World Cup so far and wishes to continue its winning streak before entering the Super-8 stage. On the other hand, the Italian team wants to end its first World Cup journey with a memorable victory.

West Indies has shown a spectacular performance in the group stage so far. The team has won all three of its recent matches and is at the top of the Group C points table. Italy, meanwhile, has won only one of its three matches.