At the PCA International Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh on October 3, West Indies captain Shai Hope led his team to a five-wicket victory over India in the third ODI, chasing down a total of 352 in 48.2 overs. Despite having to start the innings when Jewel Andrew had a finger injury while fielding, Hope stayed undefeated on 162 off 143 deliveries, leading the victorious chase. After India had already won the first two games of the three-match series, the West Indies found solace in the victory.
Shai Hope has long credited the influence of MS Dhoni in shaping his approach to batting and leadership
Shai Hope has always acknowledged that MS Dhoni, the former captain of India, shaped his style of leadership and hitting. During the difficult pursuit against India, the West Indies captain applied a mentality focused on process rather than result, drawing on this understanding.
I once had a wonderful conversation with MS Dhoni. You always have more time than you realise, he was telling me. Thus, try not to concentrate too much on the outcome. In the post-match presentation, Shai Hope stated, “Just look at the process, try to break down the game as best you can, and find ways to get the boundaries in the back end.”
Shai Hope’s innings served as an example of how to put this idea into practice. He scored his 21st ODI century from 104 deliveries and reached his half-century off 46 balls. He then made a drastic change of pace, accelerating the chase in the closing stages by hitting 62 runs off his final 39 balls. I also considered how far behind the Indian squad was in overs. I am aware that a fielder would need to be brought in. When you need five men in the ring to defend a score, it’s always difficult,” Hope remarked.
Shai Hope’s leadership style and the way he led from the front throughout the chase were commended by former West Indies captain Daren Sammy. Sammy pointed out that although Hope’s strategy is different from his own, it is nonetheless quite successful in boosting team output.
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Shai Hope is an advocate of performance-based leadership. And he has always been that way. He’s not a Sammy, in my opinion; each person is unique. He’s not too talkative. However, he is quite explicit about what he expects from the group and from himself when he talks. Additionally, he is a leader by performance, as I mentioned. And he thinks that’s true,” Hope remarked.
Someone had to go up the order and open, just like today. I told him, “You have to open,” as he emerged. He said nothing at all. All he did was put on his pads and leave. And after 160 runs, he gave us the victory. He’s a class player, then. He doesn’t, in my opinion, receive enough recognition for his contributions to the West Indies, his play, and his dedication to us. He is a fantastic person, a class player, and he leads by example,” he continued.
