Head coach Darren Sammy, ahead of the game, had dismissed the idea that Shai Hope is the only route for the West Indies to win games. But their ongoing tour of India has hardly backed his assessment. Whenever the visitors have had any success, their captain has invariably played a leading role.On Wednesday, Hope’s composed century was the thorn in the flesh of Shreyas Iyer and his men.In his 50-ball 102, he took a couple of overs to assess the conditions. His first six came off Mayank Yadav in the third over, who uncharacteristically attempted a slower ball that Hope smashed over mid-wicket. Through the knock, his approach was to wait for the bowlers to enter his hitting arc rather than go searching.When a high-risk shot wasn’t necessary, he calmly manoeuvred the ball into the leg-side with his rubbery wrists. His strong bottom-handed technique repeatedly provided access to the mid-wicket region.ALSO READ | Tilak Varma: The No 3 prince who became a No 6 kingThat approach allowed Hope’s teammates to play explosive cameos from the other end. Jewel Andrew, Shimron Hetmyer and Rovman Powell served starters, but the main course was delivered by the partnership between Hope and Sherfane Rutherford, who had been the stars for the team in Ranchi. The duo put on a 91-run partnership off 43 deliveries here.This was Hope’s fourth century on the current tour and he is, by definition, leading from the front.Story continues below this ad“He brings calm to the middle when he is there, and perhaps some of our other players need to emulate that calmness when the pressure is on. But he is not the only reason we win games,” Sammy had said on the eve of the fourth T20I.“He doesn’t really say much. But when he speaks, he’s quite clear as to what he’s expecting from himself and from the group. I don’t think he gets enough credit for what he’s done for the West Indies, how he’s played, and the commitment he’s given us. Class player, great individual,” the two-time T20 World Cup-winning captain had said earlier in the series.EvolutionFor a long time in his career, Hope was seen as a specialist in the longest version of the game due to his orthodox technique. However, in this series, he has shown his evolution into a top-class T20I opener. He is averaging 130.50 in this series at a strike rate of 190.51.What’s also remarkable is that Hope is meeting the demands of the modern scoring rate with his very orthodox techniques, one which has borne him fruit in other formats.Story continues below this ad Shai Hope of West Indies celebrates after scoring a hundred during the 2nd T20I match between India and West Indies at the JSCA International Stadium Complex, India on October 9, 2026.Hope said his younger brother, Kyle, helped him improve his power-hitting. He mentioned how his sibling points out the slightest tweaks needed for him to improve his game.Hope also believes playing in franchise leagues has shaped his T20 game.“I’ve been involved with the ILT20 [in 2024-25]. My first time playing, we [Dubai Capitals] won. I got the most runs as well in the tournament. So that meant a lot to me, playing against and with some of the best in the world and performing the way I did and helping the team lift the trophy,” he had told ESPNCricinfo.In 2024, Hope got his IPL opportunity with Delhi Capitals, but scored just 183 runs in nine games, looking like a work in progress. His game was miles behind where the league was heading. But Hope, instead of taking it as a failed season, took it as experience and credits it in his evolution as a T20 cricketer.Story continues below this ad“There are so many different things (like getting) picked for IPL (in 2024). We all know how big a tournament that is. We didn’t get to the latter stages, unfortunately; we just missed out. But the experiences will live with me forever,” Hope said.As soon as Sammy was appointed head coach, he started paying special attention to Hope’s T20 game, and worked with him on his striking drills.“We started to focus on some of those things. Our batting coach is Floyd Reifer. We’re all just trying to continue progressing and trying to find ways to help every batter, not just me,” Hope said.