West Indies coach Daren Sammy looks ahead to must-win clash against India

West Indies's Head Coach (AP Photo)

Ahead of their crucial T20 World Cup Super Eight match against India in Kolkata, West Indies head coach Daren Sammy compared the upcoming game to a “David vs Goliath” battle. He warned that “history could repeat itself,” recalling the 2016 semifinal when West Indies famously beat India at Wankhede Stadium and went on to win the tournament. In 2016, Lendl Simmons, Johnson Charles, and Andre Russell outshone Virat Kohli, chasing 193, and in the final, Carlos Brathwaite hit four sixes off Ben Stokes to win the World Cup for West Indies.

T20 World Cup: Daren Sammy press conference before IND vs WI

They would truly want that the '2026 is the new 2016' trend actually turns into a reality for them. Sammy said the memories of 2016 motivate his team, hoping 2026 could bring a similar upset. Speaking during the pre-match presser, on if the team is facing a sense of comfort heading into the match, Sammy said, "Well, there is a saying that history could repeat itself, although it was a different venue. But it is two different teams, two teams trying to move on in the tournament. You're absolutely right. I still think that in order for you to win this tournament, you have to go through India at some point. Tomorrow is that day for us. And we got to play a good game of cricket in order to come out victorious. And I'm excited for the contest. As you could see, so many journalists here. The importance of the game. And I am pretty sure they will have, what, 80,000 here tomorrow, and then another 1.4 billion supporting India. So it will still feel like a David and Goliath showdown, but like I said in 2016 - David did defeat Goliath- so that is what I am going to tell my boys tomorrow." Sammy, who captained West Indies to T20 World Cup wins in 2012 and 2016, said returning to Eden Gardens brings back good memories. "All my soldiers, they are ready for battle tomorrow when we call upon. We will have to wait till the toss for the 11," he added. Reflecting on their fightback against South Africa, Sammy praised the team’s batting depth. After being 83/7, West Indies reached 176/8, with Jason Holder and Romario Shepherd playing aggressive cameos. "Not often you see a team 83-7 and go on to score 170. I think we sent a stronger message about how deep our batting is. But yeah, we left that game in Ahmedabad, and our focus has been solely on what we have to do tomorrow against a strong Indian team, and that is where our focus is right now," he added. Sammy also highlighted the form of Shimron Hetmyer, who has scored 221 runs in six innings at an average of 44.20 and a strike rate over 182. He said Hetmyer is relaxed and focused, enjoying his role at number three, but stressed that the team does not rely on a single player. "I see he is the most relaxed and focused I've seen him in the West Indies dressing room since I have been around. And he is enjoying the game. I mean, we, the coaches and his teammates, most importantly, his teammates, challenged him for that number three position. And the responsibility he has taken with, it has given us a boost and sends a lot of positive, confident messages in the dressing room when he is batting. So hopefully tomorrow he has another better of an inning. But as we have shown throughout the tournament, we do not really rely on one person. We get performances from different players. Hopefully, tomorrow, that game, that all-around game we have been searching for, it comes to light," he added. Sammy also dismissed that the Indian challenge in the T20 World Cup is the "toughest challenge" for him, and rather said that the whole year has been challenging for him, and in this high-stakes T20 WC virtual knockout, everything comes down to execution. "I do not think one game would be the toughest challenge for me. I think last year all of 2025, was the toughest challenge for me as a coach, but I do understand what this game means. It is a knockout. You win, you go through, you lose, and then you start thinking about all the what-ifs that could have happened. And that is what makes an athlete. That is what makes competition. That's what makes a World Cup the pinnacle of your sport. So again, we are going to come out there, we have the mindset, we have prepared well, we have planned well, It all goes down again to the execution. And that's what I am going to be channelling into the boys. And I know they are ready to deliver," he concluded.

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