T20 World Cup: Hetmyer’s blitz, Shepherd’s hat-trick power West Indies to 35-run win over Scotland

In a Group C clash of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, two-time champions West Indies and Scotland locked horns in the second match of the day at the Eden Gardens on Saturday, with Shimron Hetmyer’s blistering knock and Romario Shepherd’s sensational five-wicket haul powering the Caribbean side to a 35-run victory.

After a cautious start that saw the West Indies reach 33 without loss in the powerplay, Hetmyer, who had recently faced visa-related travel delays and arrived in India just hours before the match, quickly found his rhythm and seized control of the innings. The left-hander smashed a rapid 22-ball half-century, the fastest fifty by a West Indies batter in Men’s T20 World Cup history, and finished with a stunning 64 off 36 balls. He struck six maximums and two fours at a strike rate of 177.78 before being dismissed by Safyaan Sharif, caught by Brandon McMullen.

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Earlier, Scotland won the toss and opted to bowl first. Openers Brandon King (35 off 30) and captain Shai Hope (19 off 22) provided a steady start but were dismissed in quick succession as Scotland fought back through the middle overs. Brad Currie and Mark Watt kept things tight, with Currie particularly impressive at the death to prevent West Indies from crossing the 200-run mark.

Rovman Powell contributed a handy 24 off 14 balls, while Sherfane Rutherford provided late fireworks with a quick 26 off 13 deliveries, pushing the total past 180. Debutant Oliver Davidson picked up a key wicket to slow the scoring midway through the innings as West Indies finished on 182/5 in 20 overs.

In reply, Scotland made a promising start and were well-placed at 115/3 in 13.1 overs, with skipper Richie Berrington (42) and Tom Bruce (35) threatening to take the game deep. However, Jason Holder provided a crucial breakthrough by dismissing Berrington for his 100th T20I wicket, turning the momentum back in West Indies’ favour.

From there, Shepherd unleashed a devastating spell in the death overs, taking four wickets in five balls, including a hat-trick, to dismantle Scotland’s lower order. He finished with figures of 5/20 as Scotland collapsed from 132/5 to 147 all out in 18.5 overs, losing their last seven wickets for just 32 runs.

Holder also chipped in with three wickets, while Scotland struggled to counter the late pace and variations as West Indies sealed a comprehensive 35-run win to begin their T20 World Cup campaign.

T20 World Cup, West Indies vs Scotland: Playing XI

West Indies:

Brandon King, Shai Hope (captain and wicketkeeper), Shimron Hetmyer, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Jason Holder, Romario Shepherd, Akeal Hosein, Matthew Forde, Gudakesh Motie, and Shamar Joseph.

Scotland:

George Munsey, Michael Jones, Brandon McMullen, captain Richie Berrington, Tom Bruce, wicketkeeper Matthew Cross, Michael Leask, Oliver Davidson, Mark Watt, Brad Currie, and Safyaan Sharif.