iNDICA NEWS BUREAU-
India strengthened its semifinal prospects in the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup by defeating Bangladesh by 50 runs, extending its unbeaten streak in the tournament.
After winning the toss, Bangladesh skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto put India in to bat at Antigua’s picturesque Sir Vivian Richards Stadium. India capitalized on this decision, amassing an imposing 196 runs for losing 5 wickets. Bangladesh’s response fell short at 146 runs, effectively ending their tournament run while bolstering India’s chances of advancing from Group 1 of the Super 8 stage. Should Australia overcome Afghanistan in their evening clash today, both India and Australia will secure semifinal berths, rendering their June 24 encounter a formality to determine the group topper.
In Group B, South Africa has already clinched a semifinal spot, with reigning champions England well-positioned to join them, barring a major upset when it takes on the USA on Sunday. The USA team, which exceeded all expectations by qualifying for the Super 8 stage, stands knocked out after two consecutive defeats.
West Indies, the other Group 2 contender, must defeat South Africa to oust England from the tournament.
Indian batters came across a true batting wicket for the first time in the tournament and put on show a spectacular performance. Openers Rohit Sharma (23 off 11 balls) and Virat Kohli (37 off 28 balls) set a solid foundation, followed by impactful contributions from Rishabh Pant (36 off 24 balls), Shivam Dube (34 off 24 balls), and Hardik Pandya (50 off 27 balls). Only Suryakumar Yadav failed to make a significant impact.
Indian bowlers stifled Bangladesh’s batsmen from the start of their chase. Wickets fell regularly as the required run rate escalated. Bangladesh’s skipper Shanto, top-scoring with 40, later conceded that the target was too steep to realistically challenge India.
Jasprit Bumrah reaffirmed his status as one of cricket’s premier pace bowlers, conceding just 13 runs in his 4 overs while claiming 2 wickets. Arshdeep Singh matched Bumrah’s wicket tally, albeit more expensively (2-30), while left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav excelled with figures of 3-19. Hardik Pandya, underlining his all-round value, picked up the remaining wicket. Pandya was adjusted player of the match for his all-round performance.
The left-arm orthodox spin duo of Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel struggled, going wicketless and conceding 24 runs (3 overs) and 16 runs (2 overs) respectively. This performance might prompt India to consider leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal for the now-inconsequential match against Australia on Monday, particularly given Kuldeep Yadav’s success.
Brief scores:
India 196/5 in 20 overs (Hardik Pandya 50 not out, Virat Kohli 37; Tanzim Hasan Sakib 2-32, Rishad Hossain 2-43) beat Bangladesh 146/8 in 20 overs (Najmul Hossain Shanto 40, Tanzid Hasan 29; Kuldeep Yadav 3-19, Jasprit Bumrah 2-13) by 50 runs.
