On a pulsating night at Dubai International Stadium, Team India showcased their batting prowess, posting a competitive 168/6 in 20 overs against Bangladesh in the Asia Cup Super 4 round. Bangladesh, who won the toss and opted to bowl, found their plans rattled early by Abhishek Sharma’s electrifying innings.
Opening the batting, Abhishek hammered 75 off just 37 deliveries, smashing 6 fours and 5 towering sixes at a strike rate above 200. He attacked both pace and spin alike, racing away after settling in and commandeering the scoring rate alongside Shubman Gill, who added a brisk 29 off 19 balls.
Middle Order Contributions and Quick Wickets
India’s momentum wavered in the middle overs, as a flurry of wickets fell to Bangladesh’s disciplined bowling. Suryakumar Yadav (5) and Shivam Dube (2) both fell cheaply, while Hardik Pandya stabilized the innings with a handy 38 off 29 balls, peppering the boundary at crucial moments. Tilak Varma and Axar Patel chipped in but could not accelerate the scoring dramatically, as the Bangladeshi bowlers—especially Rishad Hossain (2/27)—pegged India back in the death overs.
Despite the regular wickets, India managed steady scoring, with extras and lower-order resilience helping reach 168 by the end of the 20th over. India lost their sixth wicket off the final ball, with Pandya falling for a well-made 38.
Bowling Performance: Bangladesh’s Discipline
Bangladesh rotated their bowlers smartly, with Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Mustafizur Rahman, and Mohammad Saifuddin sharing wickets, but Rishad Hossain stood out for his double strike in the middle overs. Nasum Ahmed and Saif Hassan kept things tight, preventing India from reaching the high-flying 180+ that seemed on the cards in the opening overs.
What Lies Ahead
With a live win probability of 86% in India’s favor before the chase, Bangladesh faces a steep task on a true Dubai pitch. Their batters will need a strong start and clever shot selection to navigate India’s varied bowling attack and mount a successful pursuit of 169.
As fans eagerly await the second innings, all eyes are on whether Bangladesh can respond or if India’s bowling unit will seal a crucial Super 4 win and inch closer to finals contention.
