NEW DELHI: Shimron Hetmyer has emerged as a key figure at No. 3 in the ongoing ICC Men's T20 World Cup, with skipper Shai Hope saying the left-hander was earlier “wasted” lower down the order.

Hetmyer’s explosive 34-ball 85 powered the Caribbean side to a crushing 107-run win over Zimbabwe in a Super Eight clash on Monday, a result Hope termed a massive confidence lift ahead of matches against South Africa and India.

‘We haven’t accomplished anything yet’: Shimron Hetmyer stays grounded after big win

The left-hander smashed seven sixes and seven fours as West Indies racked up 254/6, the second-highest total in the tournament’s history.

"The way he is batting, I think sometimes, he was kind of wasted down the bottom in the innings. He's such a good player, he can bat in all situations... (against) spin (and) pace," Hope told reporters after the match.

"To utilise him in that phase, he comes out and plays with that freedom that we wanted him to play with. He's been an asset for us, especially in this tournament. We gave him the role from South Africa (series and) he has embraced it," he added.

For much of his career, Hetmyer has floated between No. 5 and 7 as a designated finisher. In this tournament, however, he has proved equally destructive higher up the order.

Spinners shine in all-round display

Hope praised the team’s complete performance against Zimbabwe, highlighting the impact of spinners Gudakesh Motie (4/28) and Akeal Hosein (3/28).

"The way we've been playing, it certainly gives us a lot of confidence," Hope said after West Indies recorded their fifth straight victory of the tournament.

"(It was a) great, great start, great confidence booster. But those games are gone. We've got to look ahead now. We've got South Africa next, and then India after that," he said.

Hope reserved special praise for Motie, pointing out the work he put in during his time away from the game.

"He got a little period before, it was the New Zealand series (that) he went home, worked on some skills. You can see he's back to where he was before," Hope said.

"He even added something to his game as well, that wrist spinner has been very, very crucial for us, especially against the lefties."

Focus shifts to South Africa and India

Hope acknowledged that South Africa national cricket team may enjoy some familiarity advantage in their next fixture in Ahmedabad, having played several matches there.

"It's certainly a factor, but you've still got to play the (best) cricket on the day. Most of the guys in our team have played in Ahmedabad several times, most of them are in the IPL and (even) against India on some occasions, so it wouldn't be alien to us," he said.

"But still, when you play at a venue for so many games in a particular tournament in a short span of time, you would have an advantage. That is reality. But I don't think that would deter us from what we're trying to do, we're still going to play the same cricket that we're playing."

After facing South Africa, West Indies will take on defending champions India national cricket team in Kolkata on Sunday.

Hosein noted that conditions in Kolkata differ from Ahmedabad, with more grip on offer but shorter boundaries at the Eden Gardens.

"I felt so far that (in) Kolkata, the ball grips a little bit more, it's not a venue where you can just toss the ball up. It's all about trying to make that adjustment and that assessment as quickly as possible," he said.

(With PTI Inputs)