KINGSTON, Jamaica — The West Indies men’s cricket team has launched its new T20 World Cup cycle in winning style, securing a dramatic 2-1 three-match T20 International series victory over Sri Lanka at Kingston’s Sabina Park over the weekend, driven by a career-defining historic performance from fast bowler Shamar Joseph.
The Guyanese pace sensation delivered a series for the ages, etching his name into T20I record books. His 11 wickets across the three matches make him the first West Indian bowler to reach the milestone in a three-game series, and only the second bowler globally to achieve the feat, following Afghanistan star Rashid Khan. Throughout the series, Joseph consistently clocked speeds above 140 kilometers per hour, repeatedly unbalancing Sri Lanka’s top batters and putting the visitors under constant pressure.
In the decisive decider match, Joseph nearly claimed a hat-trick during the powerplay, ripping through Sri Lanka’s top order to leave them reeling at 51 for 3. He went on to finish with a new career-best 5 wickets for 33 runs, including three key wickets in the final over — culminating in the dismissal of dangerous batter Dunith Wellalage for 43 — to bowl Sri Lanka out for 169 all out inside the 20-over allocation.
Speaking after the match, an elated Joseph reflected on his standout performance that sealed the series win for the hosts. “It’s exciting for me, my first five-wicket haul in T20s, couldn’t ask for anything better. Also, a match-winning series for our West Indies team and especially for Jamaica,” Joseph said. “The captain always says, always be ready to come and bowl. So, you just have to be ready to come and execute and be ready to go again. 11 wickets in a series, couldn’t ask for better.”
The series itself delivered plenty of drama, after the West Indies claimed a convincing seven-wicket win in the opening fixture only to suffer a 37-run defeat in the second match, setting up a high-stakes decider in Kingston. In the final game, the hosts’ run chase got off to a shaky start when captain Shai Hope fell for just one run, but an aggressive 51-run second-wicket stand between Brandon King and Shimron Hetmyer steadied the West Indian innings. Sri Lanka fought back with quick wickets, reducing the hosts to a precarious 53 for 4 and putting the series result in doubt.
With the chase on the brink, middle-order batters Rovman Powell and Sherfane Rutherford rebuilt the innings through the middle overs before launching a devastating counterattack. The pair put together an explosive 81-run partnership off just 46 balls, swinging momentum firmly back in the West Indies’ favor. Powell, who became the West Indies’ all-time leading T20I run-scorer during the second match of the series, thrilled the home crowd with three sixes and one four, while Rutherford delivered an unbeaten knock of 54 off 40 balls, including four sixes and three fours.
Needing 37 runs from the final three overs, all-rounder Jason Holder — who missed the second match with a hamstring injury — sealed the win in spectacular fashion, cracking three towering sixes during a rapid 21 runs off just five balls. The West Indies crossed the finish line with two balls remaining, sparking wild celebrations among the home crowd at Sabina Park.
Holder’s contribution across the series further underlined his value to the side; his 3 wickets for 18 runs in the opening match helped him become just the second West Indian bowler to claim 50 T20I wickets on home soil. Batter Brandon King also reached a major career milestone, becoming only the third West Indian batter — alongside Powell and Nicholas Pooran — to surpass 2,000 career T20I runs.
Across the entire series, the West Indies held the upper hand on both sides of the ball. The home bowling attack claimed 22 wickets to Sri Lanka’s 17, with Joseph averaging one wicket every six overs and holding an economy rate of 7.83, while Holder finished as the series’ most economical bowler, conceding just 51 runs from 48 deliveries for an economy of 6.37. With the bat, the West Indies hit 31 sixes to the visitors’ 26, with Powell leading the charge with six maximums and both Hetmyer and Rutherford hitting five each.
West Indies head coach Daren Sammy praised his side’s all-round performance, highlighting the team’s composure under pressure during the tense run chase in the decider. “Most of all, being under pressure today and having the nerve, the calm and the cricket smarts to do what it takes to come out over the line; that was special,” Sammy said. “There are still areas and skills we’ve got to develop, but it’s something that we as the coaching staff and players will continue to work on.”
Both sides will now shift their focus to the red-ball format, with a two-match Test series scheduled to get underway June 25 at Antigua’s iconic Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, running through July 7.