Shai Hope Rewrites Record Books With Fourth Century Of India Tour
West Indies skipper Shai Hope rewrites record books with a blistering 102* in Hyderabad, surpassing legends like Chris Gayle.
West Indies captain Shai Hope is turning his tour of India into a personal masterclass, delivering a sensational performance in the fourth T20I at Hyderabad on Wednesday. In a display of pure dominance, Hope smashed his fourth century of the tour, spanning both the ODI and T20I legs, leaving fans and statisticians in awe.
The skipper’s innings was nothing short of explosive. He reached his milestone with a flurry of boundaries and maximums, finishing on an unbeaten 102* from just 50 deliveries. His knock featured four boundaries and nine massive sixes, propelled by a staggering strike rate of 204.00. The climax of his innings was particularly dramatic, as he brought up his third T20I hundred by launching two consecutive sixes on the final two balls of his stay.
Breaking Records and Surpassing Legends
Hope’s performance in Hyderabad was not just about the runs; it was about the history he rewrote. By reaching this milestone, he became the fourth West Indian batter to join the elite 2,000 T20I runs club, joining Rovman Powell, Nicholas Pooran, and Brandon King.
Furthermore, his third T20I century has seen him leapfrog legendary figures. He has now overtaken Chris Gayle and Evin Lewis, who both possess two T20I centuries, to become the West Indian batter with the most T20I hundreds. He also equalled Gayle’s record for the most fifty-plus scores for the West Indies in T20Is, standing at 16 each.
His dominance in bilateral series is also noteworthy. Hope has joined an exclusive group of players, including Phil Salt, Sanju Samson, and Tilak Verma, as the fifth batter to register two T20I centuries in a single bilateral series. Additionally, he has levelled with the likes of Virat Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav for the most fifty-plus scores in a bilateral T20I series among Test-playing nations.
A Dominant Tour Performance
The skipper’s numbers during this tour are truly astronomical. Across seven innings in India, Hope has amassed 539 runs at an incredible average of 134.75, including four centuries and a half-century. His impact across all formats in India has been profound:
- ODI Leg: 278 runs in three innings at an average of 139.00, including two centuries.
- T20I Leg: 261 runs in four innings, including two centuries and a fifty.
His career record against India also remains formidable, with 1,961 runs in 45 matches, including eight centuries.
West Indies Set a Massive Total
Despite India electing to field first, the West Indies batters made no apologies for their aggression. Following Hope’s anchor role, Jewel Andrew provided quick support with 21 runs off 16 balls. The onslaught continued through Shimron Hetmyer (33 off 12), Rovman Powell (24 off 17), and a vital unbeaten 49 from Sherfane Rutherford.
The West Indies finished their innings at a commanding 247/3. India's bowling attack struggled to contain the onslaught, with Prince Yadav managing 1/36, while Arshdeep Singh (1/52) and Mayank Yadav (0/52) were unable to find breakthroughs against the surging Caribbean batsmen.