By Arjun 
The West Indies women’s team has a point to prove heading into the 2026 T20 World Cup. Once upon a time, they were right up there among the best teams in world cricket, but are now a team looking for some consistency after enduring an upswing which included as many dropped catches and losses despite leading efforts on significant occasions.
In fact, just two years ago they were semi-finalists at the UAE in a major global tournament. They proved they can beat the top teams in the world – and recorded a memorable win over England during that campaign. But the months that followed have mirrored an unpredictability that has been the hallmark of West Indies cricket
Their failure to qualify for the 2025 ODI World Cup was arguably their biggest disappointment and raised questions about where the international side is headed in terms of quality and depth. This year again, they the lost in T20 format to Sri Lanka when Sri Lanka surprised them and their execution as well as adaptability were questioned. This dented confidence furthered by a whitewash in the next series against Australia.
But the tri-series has thrown up some positives, despite those struggles. Increased competitiveness, fighting spirit and even flashes of the form that saw them become world champions again was showcased by the team. Reproducing the aura of their memorable 2016 title-winning season might seem tough, but to underestimate West Indies is never a good move.
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Captain Hayley Matthews, the unmatched heartbeat of the side. She is undertaking a tremendous task, as captain, lead batswoman and starting bowler, so expected to perform both with bat in hand and by making decisions on the field. With big match temperament on offer with the likes of Deandra Dottin and Stafanie Taylor, plus shinbusting skills like those of Chinelle Henry, Aaliyah Alleyne, and Afy Fletcher to fill the spaces further across departments.
Your probable lineup is a mix of experienced players alongside younger players who are hungry to make their mark on the world stage. An abundance of match-winners means that if the West Indies can get their act together and perform under pressure, they will provide plenty of problems for whoever lines up against them.
The Caribbean outfit will be looking to use those failures as motivation coming into the tournament, and making sure that they don’t wind up a footnote in history’s statistics but instead remind all of cricketing world just why it is one hell of a gamble to bet against them being the most thrilling dark horse in women’s T20 cricket.