Daren Sammy, West Indies head coach, believes a 2-2 result accurately reflects his team’s T20I series against India, despite the fifth and final T20I being washed out in Bengaluru.” It’s a true reflection of how all of the teams have played, especially our guys,” Sammy stated at the post-game press conference. “I’m very confident when the series started, we didn’t stand a chance. But that was only the view of others.”
West Indies have previously played three bilateral T20I series against India in India, losing all three and winning only one match out of seven. Daren Sammy described their recent neck-and-neck race with India as a “massive step” toward their ambitions. I believe the cup is still in our favor, given we won the home leg 3-2 the previous time we played (in 2023).
We’d like to win,” Sammy said, “since it’s something we haven’t done in a long time in India, so it would be good.
“We realize what success means to us, and we never take for granted where we stand as a team or the obstacles we confront. We just want to make those breakthroughs, and I believe we’ve taken a significant step forward with this series. We played against the defending champs and equaled them, [but] in some places we outperformed them, particularly in their backyard.”
Sammy hopes that on-field development will bring the West Indies to financial security from a position of insecurity. According to CWI CEO Chris Dehring, a fundamental source of that volatility stems back to 1997, when the ICC voted – CWI (then WICB) was outvoted by other members – to overhaul international cricket’s financial model, resulting in host boards pocketing all revenue produced by bilateral series. With the elimination of touring fees, boards representing smaller populations, like as the West Indies, lost an important source of financial security.
Since then, the West Indies has had a series of financial catastrophes. Last month, CWI announced significant financial restructuring, including a 25% salary decrease for contractual international players. Sammy emphasized the significance of West Indies cricket to the area, the world, and the game, citing the CEO’s discussion of events in 1997 as a contributing factor.” I’ve heard stories of guys from past West Indies teams spending three-four months in a place touring, playing warm-up matches, spreading their talent, creating a fanbase, and generating revenue for many people.
“I believe it is crucial; my mother always says you must have a caring attitude. No matter what you do in life, human nature should never lose its caring quality. I believe we need someone to put a hand over the shoulder of West Indies cricket. Financially, that is, and series like this, here in India, against the finest team in the world, bring us closer to that goal.”
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West Indies previously defeated Sri Lanka in a home T20I series and advanced to the semi-finals of the 2026 T20 World Cup in India in March.” All the guys in the dressing room went out there and played with intent, and it was good to see that the swagger and confidence is back,” Sammy remarked. It began during the World Cup, and you could see guys enjoying themselves and wanting to win. That is where it all begins: believing that we belong where we are and performing in ways that demonstrate that we do. Hopefully, right now everything has just been constant.”
Sunil Rao is a dedicated cricket writer focused on delivering the latest cricket news, match updates, team developments, and player-related stories. His articles are written with a focus on accuracy, clarity, and keeping cricket fans updated with the latest happenings.
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