After being asked to bat, India rode on a blistering 75 off 37 balls from Abhishek Sharma, who smashed six fours and five sixes at a strike rate of over 200.
His explosive start, alongside Shubman Gill’s 29 off 19, powered India to 72 without loss in the Powerplay. Although Bangladesh clawed back with wickets in the middle overs, Hardik Pandya’s 38 off 29 ensured India reached a competitive 168 for 6.
Among Bangladesh’s bowlers, Rishad Hossain impressed with 2 for 27, while Tanzim Hasan Sakib and Mustafizur Rahman claimed one wicket apiece.
In reply, Bangladesh’s chase never gained momentum despite a valiant lone hand from Saif Hassan, who struck a fighting 69 off 51 balls with three boundaries and five sixes.
No other batter crossed 25, as the middle and lower order collapsed under pressure. From 65 for 2 in the 10th over, Bangladesh slid to 127 all out in 19.3 overs.
India’s bowlers were clinical, with Kuldeep Yadav starring in the middle overs with 3 for 18. Jasprit Bumrah and Varun Chakravarthy chipped in with two wickets each, while Tilak Varma and Axar Patel also struck once.
For both Bangladesh and Pakistan, tomorrow’s clash will effectively be a knockout match, a must-win to keep their hopes of reaching the final alive.
