4 min learnMumbaiFeb 23, 2026 11:19 PM IST
Simply over an hour earlier than play started on Monday, Shimron Hetmyer stood on the crease on the pitch for West Indies’ Tremendous 8s conflict in opposition to Zimbabwe. The solar was dipping, teammates had been in the midst of their routines, however the left-hander was already visualising what may unfold later that night.
Hetmyer has by no means hidden what he enjoys most about batting. In an interview a number of years in the past, he had spoken about his love for clearing the rope and why that thrill meant extra to him than merely ending as the highest scorer for his facet.
“Folks will ask who’s going to take advantage of runs and stuff like that. I simply say I’m going to hit probably the most sixes, and everybody begins laughing. I simply bat as I see it, but when I get a ball I can hit for six, I’ll. I do like hitting sixes,” he had advised The Telegraph in 2019.
On Monday evening, he confirmed that his urge for food remained undiminished by time. Seven years on from these feedback, the left-hander unleashed an onside masterclass that left the Zimbabwe bowlers scrambling for solutions and the gang on the Wankhede Stadium completely entertained, organising a web run rate-boosting 107-run win for his facet.
The important thing to his innings was how cleanly he struck the ball. The shorter sq. boundaries on the Wankhede Stadium can tempt batters into over-hitting, however Hetmyer’s assault felt measured even at its most brutal. As soon as he settled in, something quick or on the middle- and leg-stump was dispatched with authority, particularly by means of the midwicket area.
He swept and pulled with exceptional ease, repeatedly sending the ball hovering into the stands in what became a six-hitting exhibition for the reasonably packed crowd. The Zimbabwe bowlers, nearly all of whom had been unfamiliar with bowling in these situations, had been by no means allowed to settle into any rhythm.
Batting at quantity three additionally marked a barely totally different position for Hetmyer. For years, franchises throughout T20 leagues have used him primarily as a finisher. However the retirement of Nicolas Pooran has opened the door for him to maneuver up the order for the West Indies, and on Monday, he made that chance depend.
His half-century got here off simply 19 balls – the quickest by a West Indies batter in T20 World Cups – reached with yet one more six, this time without work Sikandar Raza over square-leg. There was no easing up after the milestone. Hetmyer continued to dominate on a placid floor, punishing something that strayed into his hitting arc.
The knock, nevertheless, was not and not using a contact of fortune. Tashinga Musekiwa put down two probabilities, reprieves that proved match-deciding as Hetmyer pressed on with the identical attacking intent.
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For some time, he even seemed able to threatening the document for the quickest century within the event’s historical past. However trying to clear midwicket for his eighth six, he was dismissed by Graeme Cremer, nicely caught by Brian Bennett for a blistering 85 off 34 balls. Of these runs, 62 got here on the onside, with 56 of these in opposition to spin.
The leisure ended there, however not earlier than it had drained Zimbabwe’s power and tilted the competition firmly within the West Indies’ favour.
Motie shines
Any likelihood of a miraculous Zimbabwe win shortly evaporated once they had been decreased to twenty/3 contained in the third over, with their main run-getter, Bennett, dismissed for the primary time within the event by Akeal Hosein, for a mere 5 runs.
After Hosein had ripped by means of the highest order, his left-arm spin companion Gudakesh Motie took care of the center and decrease order, taking 4/28, which included two beauties to Dion Myers and Sikandar Raza, that pitched on center earlier than turning and beating each batters and knocking again the stumps.
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Temporary Scores: West Indies 254/6 in 20 overs (Shimron Hetmyer 85, Rovman Powell 59; Blessing Muzarabani 2/42) beat Zimbabwe 147 all out in 17.4 overs (Brad Evans 43, Gudakesh Motie 4/28, Akeal Hosein 3/28) by 107 runs.
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