West Indies will begin their Super 8 campaign against Zimbabwe at the Wankhede Stadium on Monday in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. Head coach Darren Sammy has made it clear that his team will not take Zimbabwe lightly. Having won the T20 World Cup in 2012 and 2016 as captain, Sammy now hopes to guide the team to another title as coach. He believes a strong start in the Super 8 stage is very important before facing India and South Africa.

Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Sammy said, “Who said Zimbabwe is not supposed to be here? A lot of people say the West Indies is not supposed to be here either. I think when you're in a World Cup, you've got to respect every opposition. And that's what we've been doing. That's what I encourage my guys to do. Respect the opposition, but believe in yourself, believe in your processes and your execution.

“So, tomorrow we approach it the same way as we would approach a game against India, Australia or whoever - like us, they are very confident. They are playing some good cricket, and I think I've said it before, T20 is a format that brings teams closer together. There's no clear-cut winner. You've got to go out on the day and execute your plans, or else you could lose the match,” said Sammy.

West Indies Boosted by Shepherd’s Return

The team received positive news ahead of the match as Romario Shepherd has recovered from injury. He had missed the last group match against Italy but looked sharp in training. Shepherd earlier took a five-wicket haul, including a hat-trick, against Scotland. Sammy said, “Yeah, he practised well yesterday, bowled quite well, hit the ball very, very cleanly. The good thing for us is everybody is available for selection, going into the Super 8, that's what you want. So I'm glad to know and happy to know that all my soldiers are ready to go out to war.”

When asked about Zimbabwe pacer Blessing Muzarabani, Sammy said they have plans ready. “We plan for every single player. Not only him, but he's an X factor. And like I said earlier, you've got to respect the opposition. We know the threat they bring against us, but we also know what we have to do in order for them not to be threatening against us.”

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Sammy also praised the growth of the game and the performance of Associate teams in the tournament. “This tournament, we had 20 teams. If you watch, especially in our group, I think everybody won a game; the associate teams have really pushed the full members. So it says that the game is growing, especially in that shorter format, that one person could actually have a brilliant inning that could actually impact the game on winning or losing.” He added that Zimbabwe are well led by Sikandar Raza and backed by passionate fans.

Talking about the upcoming match, Sammy said, “No, it's a cricket game. As I said earlier, I don't see an advantage. What we did against Nepal, what we did against England here, bears no bearing on the game tomorrow. It's a new opposition on a different day. We just got to come back, assess again, and decide what's required, and hopefully we deliver well. I'm pretty sure Zimbabwe will try to do the same thing. So Super 8 match, playing for your country, everything to play for, bring the excitement and the entertainment, and like I said, hopefully West Indies when that last ball is bowled is victorious,” he added.

The current Indian head coach, Gautam Gambhir, was invited to the West Indies’ dressing room by their head coach, Darren Sammy, after their seven-wicket defeat at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi to lose another series by a 2-0 margin. However, the visitors displayed improvement with the bat in the second innings.

In the first innings, the Caribbean side got bundled out for 248 runs. Having been enforced with the follow-on, they celebrated twin centuries from Shai Hope and John Campbell to earn a slight lead of 120 runs. It didn’t bring victory, but showed that they would be capable of putting up a fight in the longest format.

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“It's always a privilege to play West Indies, whether it's at home, whether it's away. I think, for me, the most important thing I was telling Daren this as well, is the way you guys carry yourself on and off the field. I think it's a great learning experience, the way you guys carry yourself off the field. Your humility, your humbleness, is something which my team and a lot of teams across the globe have to learn from.” Gambhir expressed in the WI dressing room.

Watch: Gautam Gambhir sends strong and inspiring message to West Indies after 2-0 series defeat against India

Gambhir reckoned that even though it won’t be important to have World Cricket for West Indies cricket, it’s incredibly vital for the other way around. They are the two-time champions of the T20 World Cup 2012 and 2016, but have faced five successive Test defeats in 2025.

pic.twitter.com/y0sfoPQ5ld

— Tom Banton (@adi_exe07) October 14, 2025

“There are very few teams who has someone like a West Indies who has a purpose to play this game. And when you have a purpose, purpose is always more important than love. And when I look at you, I feel that you can inspire the next generation of the West Indies. I think the way you played in the second innings of this Test match is probably the template that can take West Indies cricket forward.” Gambhir addressed.

“And lastly, guys, I want to say one thing, and that is something which I've always believed in. You might feel that I'm saying it just for the heck of it, but this comes straight from the heart. West Indian cricket doesn't need world cricket. World cricket needs West Indian cricket.” The former Indian opener concluded.

West Indies’ Test performance has declined a lot in the last six months, and over the last few months, it’s getting worse. Their head coach, Darren Sammy, during the pre-match press conference ahead of he second Test against India at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi, felt that cancer had gone through their system.

Sammy, the two-time T20 World Cup-winning captain, admitted that even though they are open to being criticized, the root of the problem in West Indies’ Test cricket started long ago. He revealed that it was back in 1983 when India last won a Test series in India, and it won’t happen in 2025 either.  

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“I know now I’m under the microscope. I’m in the middle, and we’re open to criticism, to be criticized by everybody. But the root of the problem didn’t start two years ago. It’s something that started way back. It’s like a cancer that’s already in the system. If you don’t get cancer, you know what happens. And again, it’s breast cancer month. It’s rooted deep into our system.” Sammy expressed in the press conference.

Darren Sammy points out West Indies’ system issues for Test decline

The Roston Chase-led side, who were bowled out under 200 runs in both innings of the Ahmedabad Test last week, faced an innings and 140-run defeat. Sammy explained that they had also been struggling with finances for a long time.

“We could only work with what we have and who’s willing. The inability to match some of the franchises across the world has been an issue. But what I always tell these guys is that if we complain about not having the best facilities, not having enough manpower like the other teams, not having the best technology.” The former West Indies all-rounder addressed.

“The difference in the different teams, the top 3-4 teams in the world versus the bottom four. We’ve been struggling with finances for a long time. That’s one of the reasons why Brian (Lara) and Shiv (Chanderpaul) they’re going to have this event this afternoon.” Darren Sammy concluded.