MS Dhoni's words played crucial role in ODI career, West Indies captain Shai Hope reveals

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West Indies captain Shai Hope has credited former India captain MS Dhoni for inspiring words after his stellar performance against England in the first ODI on Sunday (December 3).

Shai Hope's outstanding performance led West Indies to a stunning victory against England in Antigua.

He showcased his exceptional cricketing skills by smashing three sixes in four balls off Sam Curran. Post this thrilling victory, Hope urged his teammates to replicate their performances in the forthcoming series to secure an overall win.

Hope's extraordinary inning of an unbeaten 109 off 83 balls marked his 16th ODI century, and notably, the fastest one in his career. Hope's brilliant batting led to a comprehensive four-wicket victory for the West Indies, with seven balls remaining.

And after the match, Hope has given MS Dhoni credit for his approach and mentality. Talking in the post-match presentation, Hope said a chat with Dhoni stayed in his mind which influenced his batting vision.

"A very, very famous person, MS Dhoni - we had a chat a while ago, and he was saying, 'You always have a lot more time than you think.' That's one thing that has stuck with me throughout the years I've been playing ODI cricket," Hope said at the post-match presentation.

Shai Hope Joins the Elite 5000 Club

This match was also significant for Hope personally as he became the 11th West Indian to reach the milestone of 5000 runs in men's ODIs. He achieved this feat in his 114th innings, thus joining the ranks of the fastest cricketers globally to reach this landmark. Notably, he is now level with cricket legends such as Viv Richards and Virat Kohli, following Babar Azam (97 innings) and Hashim Amla (101 innings).

"It was in a winning cause, and that's all I play for. The stats will come as a bypass but my aim and my thing is to win games. It contributed to a win, so I'm just happy that the guys got over the line," Hope concluded.