West Indies’ Shimron Hetmyer (AP Photo) MUMBAI: Shimron Hetmyer’s commitment to the West Indies team came under scrutiny when he failed to board the plane during the 2022 T20 World Cup and was eventually dropped from the team. Although he cited “personal reasons” for his decision, it gave the impression that he preferred traveling the world in franchise leagues to representing the Caribbean side.A similar situation almost played out in this edition of the World Cup when the 29-year-old arrived in Kolkata just 24 hours before the opening match against Scotland. Reports suggested his arrival had been delayed by visa issues, but whispers of history repeating itself grew louder.
T20 World Cup: Shai Hope press conference after West Indies beat Zimbabwe
However, the West Indies camp chose not to make a fuss. They let the matter pass in silence – and the results came. Hetmyer has proven to be their best scorer so far. The Rajasthan Royals batsman has amassed 219 runs in five matches at a strike rate of 185.59.Concerns about his past indiscretions aside, the left-hander has settled seamlessly into his new role at No.3, taking over from Nicholas Pooran, who announced his retirement eight months ago.Having spent considerable time alongside Hetmyer, West Indies captain Shai Hope knew what he could offer if he moved up the order, a role he occupied earlier in his career before being pushed into the finisher position.“The way he bats, I think he’s been wasted down the order at times. He’s such a good player; he can bat in all situations, against spin and pace. We use him properly at this stage (at No.3), he comes out and plays with the freedom we want him to have. He’s an asset to us, especially in this tournament. He’s embraced that role,” Hope said.Hetmyer was promoted to No.3 in July last year during the home T20I series against Australia. In the nine matches since then, he has scored 365 runs at a strike rate of 184.34, well above his career mark of 138.89. The Guyanese attributes his recent success to better clarity and simpler thinking. “I don’t think about batting these days. In the past, I used to think a lot – about plans, how to get outs. Now I try to think less, let the bat do the talking and just react to the situation,” Hetmyer said.As the tournament progressed, the initial nerves of returning to the No. 3 spot also subsided. “It’s definitely easier now because I’ve been doing it for a while. I understand the role better, I know how the situations play out and having the support of everyone in the team really helps. That support gives me a much more comfortable headspace,” he added.His World Cup campaign so far has been defined by a fearless approach and unwavering belief in his ability to clear the ropes. He hit a 36-ball 64 against Scotland. Against Zimbabwe on Monday night, Hetmyer turned the game on its head with a stunning 34-ball 85 with seven fours and seven sixes.The bigger test now will be to replicate such performances in West Indies’ next two key clashes.Shimron Hetmyer Records1 – Shimron Hetmyer is the only batsman to score 200+ runs at an average of 50+ with a strike rate of 175+ in this edition of the T20 World Cup. 452 – Hetmyer’s run-aggregate at an average of 50.22, including three fifties, in 11 innings is the highest in T20Is in 2026. 37 – The sixes hit by Hetmyer are the most by a batsman in T20Is this year. Next best is Ishan Kishan (27). 17 – Sixes hit by Hetmyer in 5 innings, joint-most by a batsman in a T20 World Cup, equaling Nicholas Pooran’s record of 2024 (7 innings). 250 – 23 Feb 2026 Recorded his best ever knock in 85 (34 balls) vs. Winter (minimum 50 rounds). — Stats: Rajesh Kumar
