West Indies Captain Shai Hope Breaks Record Held by Babar Azam, Virat Kohli; Joins Nations' Elites

Add as a preferred source on Google

In a stellar display of form, West Indies captain Shai Hope added another feather to his cap by scoring his 17th ODI century in the second ODI against England in Antigua on November 2. Hope's 117 off 127 balls, adorned with eight boundaries and four sixes, powered the West Indies to a formidable total of 328/6.

He guided his team from a precarious start to an imposing position in the match. Coming in after the openers fell early, Hope took charge, anchoring a 143-run partnership with Keacy Carty that helped stabilize the West Indies innings. Carty was more aggressive in their stand.

This allowed Hope to play a watchful knock before he shifted gears. The partnership was eventually broken by England's Adil Rashid when Carty was dismissed for 71, but Hope maintained his rhythm alongside Sherfane Rutherford, who contributed with a brisk half-century.

Hope's patience and ability to shift the pace of his innings came to fruition as he reached his century in 118 balls. This century places Hope in an elite category among West Indies cricketers. He has equaled Desmond Haynes' record of 17 ODI hundreds but achieved the feat in far fewer innings-124 compared to Haynes' 237.

Only Brian Lara (19) and Chris Gayle (25) are ahead of Hope in the list of most ODI centuries for the West Indies. Hope's prolific form has remained consistent, even as the West Indies faced challenges in recent years, notably missing out on the 2023 ODI World Cup.

On the international stage, Hope's performance also places him among the best of the decade. Since 2020, Hope leads with nine ODI hundreds, surpassing Pakistan's Babar Azam, who has eight, and leaving other top players, including India's Virat Kohli and South Africa's Quinton de Kock, trailing behind.

Despite his commendable efforts, Hope's performance couldn't secure a win, as England chased down the target with 15 balls to spare, leveling the series. England's skipper Liam Livingstone led the charge with a blistering 124.

He was supported by fifties from Philip Salt, Jacob Bethell, and Sam Curran. Nonetheless, Hope's century remains a testament to his consistency and quality in ODI cricket, as he solidifies his place among both West Indies legends and contemporary global greats.