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Bangladesh skipper Nigar Sultana Joty's valiant effort of scoring her sixth T20I fifty wasn't enough to steer the Tigresses to victory, as they succumbed to a 45-run loss against India in the opening T20I of their five-match series at Sylhet International Cricket Stadium on Sunday.

Chasing a target of 146 runs, Bangladesh struggled to find their rhythm, ending their innings at 101 for eight. Joty's 48-ball 51, adorned with five fours and a six, stood out as the sole highlight in a largely disappointing batting performance, with only two other batters reaching double-digit scores.

India, batting first, set a challenging target by amassing 145 for seven, thanks to contributions from Yastika Bhatia (29-ball 26), Shafali Verma (22-ball 31), and skipper Harmanpreet Kaur (22-ball 30).

For Bangladesh, leg-spinner Rabeya Khan was the standout performer, claiming three wickets for 23 runs.

On the Indian bowling front, pacers Renuka Singh (3 for 18) and Pooja Vastrakar (2 for 25) combined to take five wickets, effectively stifling Bangladesh's batting lineup.

Despite Joty's determined knock, the Tigresses never seemed to find their footing, falling significantly short of the target.