Credit: X
Team India cruised through against Bangladesh with a 50-run victory and stayed on the top of Group A in the Super 8 stage of the T20 World Cup 2024. The Men in Blue lost the toss and were asked to bat first and grabbed the opportunity with both hands. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli got going as a pair to post a 39-run stand.
Then despite losing a few quick wickets, India were in a great rhythm with the pair of Shivam Dube and Hardik Pandya taking apart the Bangladesh attack. Dube put forth a 24-ball 34 while Pandya scored an unbeaten 50 in 27 balls with four fours and three sixes and helped post a massive 196-run total.
Defending the total, India had to wait till the end of the powerplay to get the first breakthrough which came courtesy of Pandya. This dismissal opened the floodgates for the Men in Blue as they picked up wickets at regular intervals and bundled out Bangladesh at 146. With the ball, Kuldeep Yadav was the top performer with his 3-19 while Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh picked up two wickets each.
Talking about his Player of the Match performance, Pandya said, "We have played really good cricket. More than anything we have stuck together and executed our plans. I did realise the batters wanted to use the breeze, I made sure I did not give them a chance where the wind was blowing, it was about being one step ahead as a batter."
"We as a group can get better in a lot of places, losing wickets in bunches is something we can rectify and get better at, apart from that, we are looking good. I have been fortunate to play for the country, it was a freak injury I had, I wanted to come back but God had other plans. Luck comes to people who work hard and that has stuck with me for a long time."
