Romario Shepherd took the first hat-trick of the 2026 T20 World Cup on Saturday. His four wickets in five balls helped West Indies defeat Scotland by 35 runs. The win came in Group C’s opening match at Eden Gardens, Kolkata.
West Indies posted 182-5 in 20 overs, powered by Shimron Hetmyer’s 36-ball 64. Hetmyer hit six sixes and shared an 81-run partnership with Rovman Powell. Opener Brandon King scored 35 before falling to debutant spinner Oliver Davidson. Sherfane Rutherford added 26 off 13 balls to boost the total.
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Scotland looked strong at 114-3 after 13 overs, with captain Richie Berrington making 42 and Tom Bruce 35. A 78-run fourth-wicket stand kept them in the hunt. However, Jason Holder and Shepherd struck back to end Scotland’s chase.
Shepherd removed Matthew Cross, Michael Leask, and Oliver Davidson, finishing with five wickets for 20 runs in three overs. Holder claimed 3-30, wrapping up the innings in 18.5 overs. Scotland were bowled out for 147, failing to reach the target of 183.
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Earlier, Scotland had initially challenged West Indies with disciplined bowling. Left-arm pace bowler Brad Currie ended with 2-23. Despite early setbacks, West Indies’ batting firepower and Shepherd’s hat-trick secured a decisive victory.