Why Roston Chase is Not Playing Today in WI vs ZIM T20 World Cup Match?

The two unbeaten sides of the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026, West Indies and Zimbabwe, come face-to-face with each other for the 44th match of the tournament. The high-voltage Super 8 clash is being hosted by one of the best cricket stadiums in the world, the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

Zimbabwe skipper Sikandar Raza won the toss and opted to bowl first. Meanwhile, Windies' skipper Shai Hope made an unexpected announcement by benching their star all-rounder Roston Chase for the match.

Why Roston Chase is Not Playing Today against Zimbabwe?

The spin-bowling all-rounder, Roston Chase, was snubbed from the WI vs ZIM T20 World Cup 2026 match as the West Indies team management decided to include a fast-bowling all-rounder in their playing 11.

Romario Shepherd has been included as Roston Chase replacement for the match. It was quite surprising to see replacing an experienced all-rounder for a crucial match, which might even decide the Caribbeans' fate for the semi-final race of the ICC T20 World Cup.

It remains to be seen if this tactical move goes in favour of the West Indies side or if they will end up missing Chase's services at crucial situations. Chase is arguably one of the best all-rounders in the world and can contribute heavily in every department.

Roston Chase's Lacklustre Performance in T20 World Cup 2026

Roston Chase's performance in the ongoing tournament doesn't do justice to the kind of talent he has. The all-rounder has featured in three matches so far and managed to pick only three wickets. But the spinner has been economical and has bowled with a brilliant economy rate of 6.50.

Talking about his batting performance, Chase got to bat in two innings and scored 58 runs at an average of 29. However, he scored these runs at a low strike rate of 107.40, which doesn't fit in the kind of cricket the Caribbeans like to play.

On the other hand, Shepherd is one of the most dangerous batsmen in the world and is in tremendous form in the tournament. He picked up a hat-trick in the group stage but is yet to show his power with the bat.