India thump Bangladesh by 50 runs to stay unbeaten in T20 World Cup

India thumped Bangladesh by 50 runs in the Super 8 match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 thanks to a quickfire fifty from Hardik and a combined bowling display.

The victory put the 2007 champions at the top of the Super 8’s Group 1 with four points while Bangladesh are at the bottom with two losses in as many matches.

Chasing 197 at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua and Barbuda, Bangladesh never looked in the game and could only manage 146 runs for the loss of eight wickets.

The Bangladeshi team kept losing wickets on regular intervals with Najmul Hossain Shanto scoring 40 off 32 deliveries. Tanzid Hassan managed to score 29 runs but took 31 balls to do so.

Kuldeep Yadav remained pick of the bowlers for India, taking 3-19 in his four overs. Jaspit Bumrah has been very economical, taking two wickets for just 13 runs in four over. Arshdeep Singh also picked up two wickets for 30 runs in four over.

Earlier put into bat first, India finished at 196/5 in their allotted 20 overs, courtesy of Hardik Pandya’s quickfire half-century.

The former champions had a decent start to their innings as their seasoned opening pair of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli recorded a 39-run opening partnership.

Rohit, who was the core aggressor of the stand, miscued one off Shakib Al Hasan and walked back after scoring 23 off 11 balls, hitting three fours and a six.

Kohli then joined forces with wicketkeeper batter Rishabh Pant and together they raised 32 runs until the former fell victim to Tanzim Hasan Sakib on the first delivery of the ninth over.

India’s star batter scored 37 off 28 deliveries, laced up with four boundaries including three sixes.

India then sustained another blow in the same over when top-ranked T20I batter Suryakumar Yadav perished for a two-ball six, bringing the total down to 77/3 in 8.3 overs.

Following the back-to-back dismissals, Pant partnered with Shivam Dube and the duo briefly anchored the innings until the former’s dismissal in the 12th over.

Pant remained a notable run-getter for India with a 24-ball 36 which featured four fours and two sixes.

Coming out to bat at No.6, Hardik Pandya took the reigns of India’s innings and bolstered the total with belligerent hitting.

He stitched an important partnership for the fifth wicket with Shivam Dube which yielded 53 runs and lasted with the latter’s dismissal in the 18th over. Dube struck three sixes on his way to a 24-ball 34.

Meanwhile, Hardik Pandya kept going and continued the attack on Bangladesh bowlers to help India breach the 190-run barrier.

He top-scored for India with a 27-ball 50 with the help of four fours and three sixes.

Rishad Hossain and Tanzim Hasan Sakib bagged two wickets each for Bangladesh while Shakib Al Hasan made one scalp.