West Indies vs Sri Lanka 2nd T20I Live Score: WI 157 vs SL 194/6, Shamar Joseph Smashes 11 Off 4 in Sri Lanka Tour of West Indies 2026

West Indies captain Shai Hope reflected on his team’s defeat and said the match was lost in several areas, particularly in bowling execution. Speaking after the game, Hope praised the effort to target the bigger side of the ground and use the conditions, but admitted the plans were not carried out well enough. He said the team’s approach had been clear since the previous match, yet the bowlers did not deliver with the consistency required to control the opposition. Hope added that there are still areas for improvement and that the team must review those before the next match.

Hope also felt West Indies let themselves down with the bat. He noted that the pitch appeared slightly better for batting on the day, which made the missed opportunity more disappointing. While acknowledging that some runs may have been leaked by the bowling attack, he said the batters should have taken more responsibility and done more to respond to the target. The captain pointed to a need for better consistency in the batting unit, stressing that the side must understand its strengths and adapt to different match situations more effectively.

A major part of Hope’s assessment focused on game awareness. He said the batters do not always read situations as clearly as they should, despite having plenty of experience in the squad. In his view, the issue is not simply a lack of batting talent or ability, but a failure to assess what is needed at specific moments in an innings and to execute properly when those moments arrive. Hope urged the players to rely more on their experience and to make smarter decisions under pressure.

Hope was also asked about his exceptional reflex catch of Rathnayake, and he described it as a simple reaction play, saying he just stayed on the right side and put his hand out, with the ball sticking in his hand. The moment stood out as one of the highlights of the match, but it was not enough to change the result for West Indies.

Looking ahead to the final T20I, Hope kept the message short and direct. His instruction to the team was simply to win the game. He said it with a smile, but the message underlined the urgency for West Indies to respond strongly and finish the series with a better performance.