Rovman Powell has responded with grace and gratitude after being replaced as captain of the West Indies T20 International team, following a Cricket West Indies (CWI) announcement on Monday naming Shai Hope as the new leader heading into the 2026 ICC T20 World Cup.

The 31-year-old Jamaican all-rounder, currently playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL), posted a heartfelt message on Instagram, thanking CWI, his teammates, and fans across the Caribbean for their support during his two-year stint at the helm.

“West Indies cricket is of great importance to not just myself, but the people of the Caribbean. Leading West Indies was an honour and something I will forever be proud of,” Powell wrote.

“I would like to thank CWI for the opportunity to lead over the last two years. To the players, a SPECIAL thank you for the support from the very first day to the last day as your captain. During the duration of my captaincy, we have made incredible strides, moving from 9th to 3rd in the world, something we can be tremendously proud of.

“To the MAROON FANS and all lovers of West Indies cricket, my family and I thank you all for the support❤️.”

Powell led the regional side in 37 matches, securing 19 victories — a win tally second only to Daren Sammy’s 28 as T20I captain. Under Powell’s leadership, the team showed significant improvement in rankings and performances, regaining pride in a format where West Indies once dominated.

At Monday’s press conference, Head Coach Daren Sammy revealed that discussions with Powell had taken place in advance of the announcement and praised the player’s professionalism in handling the transition.

“Rovman was quite professional about the conversation,” Sammy shared. “Like I said, it's discussions we've had with Rovman before about the captaincy and the direction and how we want to go about doing things.”

He added: “We’re quite professional and we communicate well, and it was my job to make sure I informed him. I didn't want him waking up probably in India to the news of him not being the T20 captain anymore. He said he understood where we were going, where we were coming from and the decisions that were made.”

Sammy lauded Powell’s contributions but explained the rationale behind the leadership change as part of long-term planning ahead of the 2026 T20 World Cup, set for India and Sri Lanka.

“What Rovman has done for us, it's quite commendable. However, when you think of alignment and some of the things that we've spoken about in terms of leadership, I think this is a move in the right direction — with a World Cup probably about 14 months or 42 games away — to give the incoming leader enough time to earn his skills in leadership.”

While Powell’s tenure has come to an end, the legacy of his leadership and his continued value as a player remain intact, as West Indies cricket turns the page with one eye firmly on global glory in 2026.