RANCHI: West Indies all-rounder Roston Chase believes their skipper Shai Hope remains an "underrated" cricketer despite his remarkable consistency in white-ball cricket, saying the captain's ability to shut out criticism, remain focused and deliver for his team sets him apart.
With the IPL mini-auction scheduled for December, Hope, who has been ignored by the franchises since his 2024 stint with Delhi Capitals, has strengthened his case with a prolific run across formats, scoring three centuries in his last four innings in ODIs and T20Is.
His latest statement came in Ranchi on Thursday, when he struck his second T20I hundred off just 45 balls to spearhead the West Indies' record chase of 250 against India, sealing a victory with nine balls to spare and levelling the five-match series 1-1.
It was the West Indies' highest successful chase in T20 internationals and the highest successful run-chase against India in the format. Sherfane Rutherford provided the perfect foil with an explosive 86, but it was Hope's commanding innings that anchored the pursuit after the visitors lost two early wickets.
“I think people underrate Shai Hope a lot,” Chase said after the victory.
“He is a guy who can block out a lot of noise and focus on what he has to do. I think that is his special skill because, when everything seems to be going wrong, he is still out there giving his best and performing for the team. I think that is his hallmark.
“He is a great player. He probably doesn't have the same record in red-ball cricket, but people also play down his statistics and record, especially in T20 cricket.
“Everyone knows he is great in 50-over cricket, but even then, people sometimes don't give him enough credit. They always say he either bats too slowly or bats for himself.
“I am always happy when I see him do well because I know he is a very professional guy. He puts in the hard work, and he is the ultimate professional. He tries to tick every box and do the right things all the time.
“So, whenever he puts in these performances, I am very happy for him.”
Hope's latest exploits carry added significance given the criticism he has faced over his strike rate, particularly in T20 cricket.
Having played just one IPL season, for Delhi Capitals in 2024, he has gone unsold at subsequent auctions.
His strike rate also came under scrutiny during the T20 World Cup, particularly in the virtual quarter-final against India, when he scored 32 off 33 balls at the top of the order as the West Indies posted 195 for four at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. India chased down the target with four balls to spare on their way to winning the title.
Chase also credited Hope's improvement in power-hitting to the hard work, particularly in the gym and during range-hitting sessions.
“Firstly, he has done a lot of gym work to make himself stronger and more powerful, particularly when it comes to hitting the ball over the ropes and striking it better.
“I think he also practises a lot of range-hitting to get into those strong positions and get his body accustomed to hitting the ball from those positions.
“I think that has worked for him over the past couple of years, during which he has been working on it tremendously.”
Chase said the team had never held specific discussions about Hope's strike rate following that defeat but pointed out that individual performances must be viewed in context.
“No, we never had any discussions about it because every day at the office is not going to be a good day.
“Some days, you are middling the ball and finding the gaps. On other days, you are middling it, but the ball goes straight to the fielders. And sometimes, you are not even middling it.
“It is just one of those things. We put that behind us and try to move on.”
Hope has carried his ODI form seamlessly into T20 internationals, switching from the middle order in 50-over cricket to an opening role in the shortest format while displaying a greater range of attacking strokes.
The West Indies skipper had already enjoyed a prolific ODI series against India, scoring 278 runs in three innings at an average of 139.00.
He scored with a century in Guwahati, where his 104 helped the West Indies post 405 for seven, only for India to chase down the target inside 44 overs.
Hope responded in the next match with an unbeaten 162 off 143 balls as the visitors pulled off their highest successful ODI chase, overhauling 352 inside 49 overs.
The West Indies had come under scrutiny during the tour after struggling to contain India's batters, and the successful chase offered a timely response.
Asked why the players celebrated so exuberantly, he said: “I think it was a combination of a number of factors.
“Firstly, to chase 250 in any conditions, against any bowling attack, is a tremendous effort.
“Then there was Hope, who needed just four more runs to reach his hundred.
“We have come under a lot of scrutiny on this tour for not being able to bowl well or bowl India out for a low score. So, to be able to come out and back that up with such a chase showed that it is not only our bowlers who have been put under pressure.
While Hope and Rutherford took the game away from India, the offspin allrounder Chase had earlier made a significant contribution with the ball, claiming 3/24.
“Well, firstly, especially in white-ball cricket, I always try to keep the stumps in play, whether I am bowling to a right-handed or a left-handed batter. That was my first tactic.
“But after my first ball, (Sanju) Samson hit me for four. I had bowled it on the stumps, which was exactly what I wanted to execute.
“My strengths are using my height to extract something from the wicket and bowling yorkers. When I tried my first yorker, it came out well, so I gained the confidence to use it whenever I felt the batter was going to make a move or was under pressure.
