West Indies didn’t begin like a team ready to light up a World Cup but they certainly finished like one. In the tournament’s opening match at Kolkata’s iconic Eden Gardens, the two‑time champions posted 182 against Scotland after a sluggish, almost unrecognisable start.
A slow burn before the explosion
The powerplay was anything but powerful. West Indies crawled to 33 without loss in six overs, managing just six runs in the final two overs of the phase. Brandon King and Shai Hope both struggled to find rhythm, their timing off and intent muted.
But the seventh over flipped the script. King suddenly burst to life, smashing a six and back‑to‑back fours to take 17 off the over and jolt the innings awake. Scotland hit back in the ninth when Lisk removed Hope for 19 off 22, and King followed soon after for 35 off 30.
Hetmyer, Powell and Rutherford unleash the real West Indies
What followed was classic Caribbean carnage.
Shimron Hetmyer and Rovman Powell reignited the innings with a brutal counterattack. Across the 11th, 12th and 13th overs, they plundered 49 runs, launching five sixes and two fours as Scotland’s bowlers lost control.
Hetmyer brought up a blistering fifty off just 22 balls in the 14th over, signalling that the West Indies had fully shifted into top gear.
Their late‑innings assault transformed a shaky start into a commanding total one that instantly sets the tone for the Windies’ World Cup campaign.
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