West Indies vs Scotland: Hetmyer Fireworks and Shepherd Hat-trick Power 35-Run T20 World Cup Win

West Indies kicked off their T20 World Cup 2026 campaign with authority at Eden Gardens, beating Scotland by 35 runs in a high-impact contest that flipped sharply in the final quarter. A brutal counterattack from Shimron Hetmyer and a match-breaking spell from Romario Shepherd powered the two-time champions to a result that also erased memories of recent tournament defeats to the same opponent.

Asked to bat first, West Indies found early scoring tough on a tacky surface. Scotland’s seamers kept tight lines and allowed little room in the powerplay, limiting the Caribbean side to a cautious start. The tempo changed the moment Hetmyer walked in. Fresh off travel delays and with minimal preparation time, the left-hander launched a clean, calculated assault on the spinners.

Hetmyer raced to a 22-ball half-century, the fastest T20 World Cup fifty by a West Indies batter, and finished with 64 off 36 balls, clearing the ropes six times. He added 81 runs with Rovman Powell, whose brisk 24 kept the pressure on. Sherfane Rutherford then delivered late momentum with 26 from 13 deliveries, lifting the total to 182 for 5.

Scotland’s reply stayed alive through the middle overs. Richie Berrington and Tom Bruce built a 78-run partnership that kept the required rate within reach, and at 110 for 3, the chase looked competitive. The breakthrough came via Jason Holder, who removed Berrington to claim his 100th T20I wicket, a first for a West Indies bowler.

That wicket opened the door for Shepherd to storm through it. Bowling the 17th over, he tore through the lower middle order with three wickets in three balls, Matthew Cross, Michael Leask, and Oliver Davidson, to register the first West Indies hat-trick in T20 World Cup history. He added another on the same over’s final delivery and closed with 5 for 20 as Scotland folded for 147 in 18.5 overs.

The result puts West Indies in early control of their group and sets up momentum heading into their next fixture.