Unlike South Africa, who saw India as a tactical puzzle to be solved, West Indies behaved differently on the eve of their biggest match in the T20 World Cup 2026. Their session at Eden Gardens was light. Several tests evaluating the conditions. Some big shots between 2-5pm. A handful of players showed up for the optional session. No visible madness. No theatrical demands.
However, Daren Sammy didn’t seem concerned. At the press conference, he brushed off the lack of numbers in the clean session. All his soldiers, he claimed, were ready. According to him, every team would have to go through India to win this tournament at some point. West Indies have now simply accepted the challenge – on a ground that has been kind to them in World Cups.
“Of course, every time. Coming to Eden Gardens brings back good memories. I love being here. But I can tell you, all my soldiers, be ready for battle tomorrow when we call you,” said Sammy.
DAVID vs GOLIATH: SAMMY WANTS TO MOVE INDIA
Much of West Indies’ training was focused on batting. They took stock of the conditions and started hitting under Sammy’s watchful eye from behind the net.
On the other hand, young children – maybe too young for that remember 2016 but old enough to hear about it—he cried out, “We love you, Mr. Sammy! One picture, Mr. Sammy!”
Sammy nodded. Thumbs up here. A short smile there.
One elderly gentleman, who witnessed the 2016 World Cup final in person, cut through the noise to ask: “How does it feel to be back at Eden Gardens? A place that was so kind to you in 2016?” Image: Shimron Hetmyer was the outstanding batsman for West Indies in the T20 World Cup 2026. (Image: PTI)
Sammy closed his eyes, raised his hands slightly and replied, “It’s very, very good. Thank you.”
That warmth resurfaced later in the press conference when a reporter pointed out that apart from India, the West Indies were perhaps the only team to have elicited such loud cheers from this crowd.
Cheeky Sammy smiled.
“I’m pretty sure they’ll have 80,000 here tomorrow and then another 1.4 billion to support India. So it’s still going to look like David and Goliath. But as I said in 2016, David beat Goliath. I’ll tell my boys that tomorrow.”
SAMMY CALLS HIS SOLDIERS
West Indies know they come into this competition with flaws.
Their batting is hit and miss. Bowling is nowhere near world standard. On a high-scoring surface like Eden, that gap could widen quickly. West Indies’ Akeal Hosein bowls during a training session in Kolkata. Image: PTI
These warnings are not new to Sammy.
He remains the only captain to win two T20 World Cups. And in 2016, it was his West Indies that knocked India out of the tournament. Chasing 193, Windies finished with a four and a six courtesy of Andre Russell in a high-scoring match at the Wankhede Stadium.
They have players capable of something similar in Kolkata.
And Sammy reminded reporters of that on Saturday. It wasn’t said as a warning, but it could have been. It could have been.
“Well, they say history can repeat itself,” Sammy said.
Sammy, being the proverbial leader that he is, drew on his past experiences. He tells his disciples stories of the old days—legends and myths—hoping it will instill faith and pride in the group—two essential weapons when you’re up against a much stronger adversary. West Indies beat India at Eden Gardens a decade ago. Image: PTI
“I’m just using my experience from being here before, talking positively about how well Eden Gardens treated us, talking positively about how the team did, the belief and the camaraderie in the camp and that transfers to the performance. So it’s another game, a big one, but the fundamentals and the process remain the same.”
Over four days, the West Indies faced the two best teams in the tournament. They have already lost against one in Ahmedabad. Sammy is not interested in another loss.
As he sees it, this is 11 dangerous men against 11 dangerous men. Whoever does better advances to the semi-finals. The other is left with the familiar question: what could I have done more?
He knows how it feels. You build, you break, and then you build again.
In 24 hours, one of the two-time champions will be eliminated from the T20 World Cup.
Sammy has already created the contest in his mind. He used myth, rallying his men by calling them soldiers and asking them to follow him into battle. He understands what lies ahead – the noise, the crowd tilt, the weight of expectation that follows India wherever they play. Image: Darren Sammy (L) alongside Romario Shepherd at Eden Gardens, Kolkata. (Image: PTI)
Eden Gardens had been kind to him before. It gave him the nights he still closes his eyes to look again. He knows the odds. But he also knows what faith can do to a dressing room with nothing to lose.
On Sunday night, as the noise rises and the game tightens, he will lean on that belief — quiet, stubborn, unshakable. And hope that’s enough.
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– The end
Issued by:
Amar Panicker
Published on:
01 Mar 2026 02:01 IST
