India took a significant step towards semifinal qualification by defeating Bangladesh by 50 runs in their ICC T20 World Cup Super Eights clash at Antigua on Saturday. The match featured standout performances from Hardik Pandya and Kuldeep Yadav. With this victory, India sits atop the Group 1 points table with two wins from two games and is set to face second-placed Australia on June 24. Bangladesh, having lost both their matches, is at the bottom and out of the semifinal race.
Chasing a target of 197 runs, Bangladesh began positively with Tanzid Hasan and Litton Das showing aggressive intent. Tanzid attacked Arshdeep Singh, while Litton targeted Axar Patel’s spin. Their 35-run partnership ended when Hardik Pandya dismissed Litton for 13 runs off 10 balls, caught by Suryakumar Yadav. Bangladesh reached 42/1 at the end of the powerplay. Despite a promising start, Bangladesh’s chase faltered as Kuldeep Yadav dismissed Tanzid for 29 off 31 balls, leaving Bangladesh at 66/2 in 9.4 overs.
Kuldeep continued his impressive spell by trapping Towhid Hridoy lbw for just four runs. Bangladesh struggled further when Shakib al Hasan was caught by Rohit Sharma off Kuldeep’s bowling for 11 runs, reducing them to 98/4 in 13.3 overs. Jasprit Bumrah then removed the dangerous Najmul Hossain Shanto for 40 runs off 32 balls. Bangladesh’s lower order couldn’t withstand India’s bowling attack, with Arshdeep Singh and Bumrah taking crucial wickets towards the end. Bangladesh concluded their innings at 146/8 in 20 overs, with Kuldeep Yadav finishing as the top wicket-taker with figures of 3/19.
Earlier, Hardik Pandya’s unbeaten fifty propelled India to a strong total of 196/5. Pandya scored 50* off 27 balls, supported by Virat Kohli’s 37 runs and Shivam Dube’s 34. Tanzim Hasan Sakib and Rishad Hossain took two wickets each for Bangladesh. Despite early breakthroughs by Bangladesh, India’s middle-order contributions and Pandya’s finishing touch ensured a challenging target.
Brief Scores: India 196/5 in 20 overs (Hardik Pandya 50*, Virat Kohli 37, Tanzim Hasan Sakib 2/32) defeated Bangladesh 146/8 in 20 overs (Najmul Hossain Shanto 40, Tanzid Hasan 29, Kuldeep Yadav 3/19).