Two years after their last home T20 International series victory, the West Indies men’s cricket team has broken their drought, defeating Sri Lanka 2-1 in a dramatic three-match series that head coach Daren Sammy calls a critical stepping stone toward the 2028 ICC T20 World Cup hosted in Australia.
The deciding third match at Kingston’s Sabina Park on Sunday delivered all the tension and drama that has become synonymous with elite T20 cricket. After young fast bowler Shamar Joseph delivered a sensational maiden five-wicket haul to bowl Sri Lanka out for just 169, the Windies found themselves in deep trouble early in their chase, slumping to 54 runs for the loss of four top-order wickets.
What followed was a controlled, match-saving stand that turned the tide of the game. Jamaican captain Rovman Powell and all-rounder Sherfane Rutherford forged a crucial 81-run partnership that steadied the West Indies innings and brought the target back within reach. With late runs still needed, veteran all-rounder Jason Holder delivered a blistering finish, smashing 21 runs off only five deliveries to guide the Caribbean side across the line with two full deliveries remaining. Rutherford closed the innings unbeaten on 54, while Powell contributed a steady 33 to the match-winning effort.
In a post-match press conference, Sammy praised the team’s disciplined, intelligent approach to the pressure game, singling out the match-winners for special credit. “It was a lot more thoughtful and smarter cricket, especially by Rovman and Sherfane and followed by Jason Holder,” he said. “But I think the game was set up front when we bowled — Shamar Joseph, he continues to impress. We needed a victory. It’s been a while since we won a T20 series at home in front of the Jamaican fans, I know they wanted a victory for us so I’m glad that we could finish the series on a high.”
Joseph, who was honored with both player-of-the-match and player-of-the-series honors after finishing the three matches with a stunning 11 wickets, said he was just focused on doing his job for the team. “I just enjoy taking wickets, I cannot ask for better coming out here, that’s my job,” he said. “Bowling in the death is one of the hardest overs to bowl in any T20 game so coming and executing and getting wickets, I enjoy it. Sometimes we fall short but we always bounce back. It’s the West Indies at the end of the day, we play good cricket and T20 is our game.”
This series win marks a key milestone for the West Indies program: it is their first T20I series victory since their quarter-final exit from the 2024 T20 World Cup in March, and their first home T20I series win since they defeated South Africa at Sabina Park earlier in 2024.
Sammy acknowledged that the team still has room to improve as they build toward the 2028 World Cup, but emphasized that the win and the manner of the comeback is a promising foundation for future progress. “You could have a plan in the dressing room, but you’ve got to go out there and be able to execute the plan, and today we did that more often than not and it was enough to win the series,” he said. “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. Getting a series win after, I think, almost two years is something to be proud especially after a World Cup and building for Australia 2028. Being under pressure today and having the nerve and the calm and the cricket smarts to do what it takes to come out over the line, that was special.”
Following the win, most members of the squad departed Jamaica on Monday to shift focus to the next stage of the tour: a two-match Test series against Sri Lanka hosted in Antigua. The first Test is scheduled to get underway next Thursday.