T20 World Cup | West Indies hopes for a 2016 encore against England

West Indies aims for a T20 World Cup repeat against England, led by Shai Hope and guided by coach Daren Sammy.

As the West Indies and England prepare to face off at the Wankhede Stadium on Wednesday, memories of March 2016 come rushing back. Back then, West Indies launched its World T20 campaign with a thumping win over England, powered by Chris Gayle’s six-hitting spectacle — a victory that set it on course for a title-winning run that culminated in another triumph over the same opponent in the final.

A decade on, much has changed beyond the tournament being rechristened the T20 World Cup. England has since joined West Indies as two-time champions and arrives as strong contenders for a third title, with Harry Brook’s side widely tipped to go deep into the competition.

West Indies, meanwhile, begin once again as underdogs. But head coach Daren Sammy — the title-winning captain in 2012 and 2016 — believes the Shai Hope-led side is ready to challenge the best.

“I remember coming into 2016, some of the names that my cricketers were called. Some of the battles we had to fight. To this day, 10 years later, we are still fighting it,” Sammy said, adding that he would speak more openly about those challenges after the tournament.

“But we won’t let that affect what we bring on the field. We try to control the things that are within our power… Mumbai has been a place that has been kind to us in the World Cups, so we look forward to it.”

England, meanwhile, will look to sharpen its execution after surviving a major scare against Nepal on Sunday. Veteran Jos Buttler, 24 runs shy of becoming the fourth batter to score 4,000 T20I runs, felt the narrow escape could prove valuable.