India demonstrated superiority over Bangladesh in New Delhi, securing the three-match T20I series with a 2-0 lead, with one match remaining. The standout performance came from Nitish Reddy, whose all-round capabilities were instrumental in achieving a commanding 86-run victory, marking the largest margin of victory India has recorded against Bangladesh.
Nitish Kumar Reddy and Rinku Singh played pivotal roles in reviving the innings, transforming the score from 41 for 3 in the sixth over to a formidable total of 221, with Hardik Pandya contributing significantly towards the end. Despite the favorable batting conditions, the Indian bowling attack proved too formidable for Bangladesh, ensuring the series triumph.
Nitish Kumar Reddy's ferocious batting performance
The pitch in Delhi conformed to the pre-match forecasts, primarily providing batters with ample opportunities to capitalize on their shots. However, during the PowerPlay, Bangladesh’s decision at the toss was justified as they claimed three rapid wickets.
India commenced their innings with considerable momentum, as Samson secured two boundaries from Mehidy Hasan’s opening over, while Abhishek added another in the same over. However, both players were dismissed in consecutive overs by pace bowlers Taskin Ahmed and Tanzim Hasan Sakib. Mustafizur Rahman then contributed to the wickets tally by dismissing captain Suryakumar Yadav, placing India in a challenging position during the PowerPlay, despite having accumulated a respectable total of 45 runs.
Rinku and Nitish took a brief moment before asserting their dominance over the spinners. Rinku’s six, achieved through a slog sweep off legspinner Rishad Hossain, clearly indicated their aggressive approach, while Nitish replicated this feat in the subsequent over bowled by Mahmudullah. The 10th over of the innings marked a significant shift in momentum, as Rishad Hossain was hit for three sixes and a four by the pair, accumulating a total of 24 runs. Even with the introduction of pace bowling immediately afterward, the assault persisted, with Nitish striking a six over long on and Rinku executing a cut for four, thereby placing Mustafizur under considerable pressure.
Nitish achieved his first international fifty in just 27 balls during the subsequent over, as the partnership accelerated significantly. The century partnership was established with Nitish striking Mehidy for three sixes and a four, before falling victim to a slower delivery from Mustafizur. By that point, his impressive score of 74 off 34 had shifted the momentum in their favor, which was further maintained by Hardik Pandya, who immediately hit Rishad for a four and a six. Rinku then followed suit, scoring 4, 4, and 6 against Tanzim to reach his fifty off 26 balls before pulling Taskin to deep midwicket.
Hardik and Riyan Parag consistently hit boundaries as India surged past the 200-run mark in the second to last over. This aggressive approach, however, came at a cost, as India lost four wickets in the final seven deliveries, preventing them from achieving a greater total. Nevertheless, a score of 221 was more than sufficient, as Bangladesh struggled to pose a significant threat during their chase.
Bangladesh's poor batting performance
Despite Parvez Hossain Meroz hitting Arshdeep Singh for three boundaries in the initial over, the innings quickly deteriorated. In the subsequent over, Arshdeep managed to dismiss his opponent, who chopped the ball onto his stumps, while Washington Sundar made an impact in his first over by having Najmul Hossain Shanto miscue a shot to long on. The spinners further undermined Bangladesh’s efforts, with both Varun Chakaravarthy and Abhishek Sharma claiming wickets in their opening overs.
During a brief span of 14 balls, Bangladesh lost three wickets for just six runs, leading to a significant collapse. Mahmudullah and Mehidy arrested the slide briefly before the latter hit one straight to long off. Nitish capped off his exploits with the bat with two wickets in the latter stages of the innings to cap off a near-perfect day.
Bangladesh was down to 46-4 in 6.5 overs. Only five of its batters reached double figures and Mahmudullah top scored with 41 off 39 balls to save his side embarrassment. The second-best score was 16 by Emon, and by Mehidy Hasan Miraz in the middle order, outlining why the visitors never stood a chance in this tall chase.
Bangladesh’s struggles with the bat were markedly different from India’s performance, which remained steady even after a challenging start at 41 for 3 in the sixth over. The debutant Nitish Kumar Reddy and the finisher Rinku Singh mounted a strong counteroffensive, forming a 108-run partnership for the fourth wicket, with both players achieving quick half-centuries. Subsequently, Hardik Pandya and Riyan Parag propelled India beyond the 200-run mark. Taskin noted that India’s experience on favorable batting surfaces has contributed to their ability to score heavily.
Scorecard: India 221/9 (Nitish Reddy 74, Rinku Singh 53; Rishad Hossain 3-55) beat Bangladesh 135/9 (Mahmudullah 41; Varun Chakravarthy 2-19) by 86 runs
