Shimron Hetmyer saves his best for the big stage

Mumbai: When Shimron Hetmyer failed to make the charter flight to the 2022 T20 World Cup, West Indies officials left him behind and the whispers began: was the Guyanese dasher more interested in franchise paydays than Caribbean colours? Two-and-a-half years on, the 29-year-old has delivered the loudest possible reply with bat in hand, storming to 219 runs in five innings at a tournament-leading strike rate of 185.59 and dragging his side into knockout calculations.

The redemption tale almost stalled before it started. Hetmyer landed in Kolkata barely 24 hours before the opening clash against Scotland, visa paperwork again threatening to derail his campaign. This time the dressing-room opted for quiet confidence over public condemnation. The payoff has been immediate: Hetmyer has batted only once outside the first 10 balls of an innings, yet has cleared the ropes 17 times—level with Nicholas Pooran’s 2024 record for most sixes in a single T20 World Cup.

Elevated to No. 3 last July when Pooran retired from T20Is, Hetmyer has reeled off 365 runs in nine innings at 184.34 per 100 balls, a dramatic spike from his career mark of 138.89. Captain Shai Hope, who first suggested the promotion, says the change was overdue. “Sometimes he was wasted down the order. He can bat in all situations, against spin and pace. We told him to play with freedom and he’s been an asset.”

The left-hander credits a less cluttered mind. “I’m not overthinking anymore. I used to worry about plans, about getting out. Now I react to the situation and let the bat do the talking.” The clarity produced a statement 64 off 36 balls against Scotland and an even more explosive 85 off 34 against Zimbabwe on Monday night—seven fours, seven sixes, and a strike rate of 250, his best in any T20I innings above fifty.

Numbers underline the transformation. Hetmyer is the only batter in this World Cup to combine 200-plus runs with a 50-plus average and a 175-plus strike rate. His 37 sixes in all T20Is during 2026 are already 10 more than the next-best Ishan Kishan. With two must-win games remaining, the West Indies will lean once more on the man who arrived late but has timed everything else to perfection.