After a high voltage ODI series which ended with Bangladesh winning 2-1, the action now shifts to the 3-match T20I series between Bangladesh and the West Indies. The bandwagon has also moved from Mirpur to Chattogram where all the 3 matches will take place in the coming week. All these T2OIs are important with the T20 World Cup around the corner early next year.
Bangladesh welcome back their regular skipper Litton Das who was out due to injury for a while but he is the T20I skipper and one of the lynchpins of the Bangladesh side. West Indies will be led by Shai Hope and some big names return to bolster the West Indies line-up as well. A galaxy of superstars and players from both sides and we could be in for a thrilling series starting later tonight in Chattogram.
Overview
The focus from the ODIs will shift to the shortest format of the game as Bangladesh and West Indies prepare for the first of three T20 Internationals. Bangladesh, riding high on confidence from a 2-1 ODI series win, will aim to continue their dominance at home. West Indies, despite the ODI loss, considers T20 their strongest format and will be eager to bounce back, utilizing their power-hitting prowess.
Bangladesh’s recent T20I form has been strong, including a clean sweep against Afghanistan. The momentum from the ODI series, capped by a commanding victory, is firmly with the hosts. Spin is expected to remain their primary weapon, with the in-form Rishad Hossain being the key wicket-taker. The return of captain Litton Das will bolster their batting. However, they will need their top order to transition their form and fluency to the high-tempo nature of T20 cricket. The pacers featuring the likes of Taskin Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman will be crucial in the powerplay and death overs.
The West Indies side on the other hand is much better suited to the T20 format, packed with powerful hitters like Rovman Powell and all-rounders like Jason Holder and Romario Shepherd. Captain Shai Hope’s excellent form from the ODIs, where he scored a vital unbeaten fifty in a difficult chase, makes him a key anchor. Their strategy will involve aggressive stroke play to challenge the Bangladeshi spinners. The bowling, led by spinners Akeal Hosein and Gudakesh Motie, combined with the variations of Holder, will need to be at their absolute best to contain Bangladesh on their home turf.
So, the stage is set for an interesting battle in Chattogram where 3 matches will take place in 5 days with a gap in between. We shall wait and watch how things go and whether Bangladesh continue their rich vein of form in T20Is while the West Indies will aim to upstage the hosts in the format they love and is designed for their players to succeed.
Head-To-Head
There has been a total of 19 matches played and it is a tight tussle between the two teams. Bangladesh have won 8 games while the West Indies have won 9. Two matches have ended in No Results. It is dead even at 5-5 in the last 10 matches with Bangladesh winning the last 3 matches in 2024 when they toured West Indies in December with the visitors clinching the series in the Caribbean 3-0 then.
Pitch & Weather Report
The surface in Chattogram is generally known to be more favourable for batting than the Mirpur pitch, with average first innings scores in recent years around 165-170. It is expected to offer early seam movement and bounce for the pacers, but as the game progresses, the spinners will come into play, getting grip and turn. Historically, teams batting first have a slight advantage, suggesting setting a target could be beneficial.
The forecast at Chattogram on Monday evening which is on match day predicts a partly cloudy weather. The predicted temperature will be around 33 degrees Celsius with an average humidity of 55%. There is no chance of rain as such and we can expect a full game in without any interruptions.
Predicted/Possible XIs of both sides
Here, we will try and predict the possible playing XIs of both sides.
Bangladesh XI: Tanzid Hasan, Saif Hassan, Litton Das (c&wk), Towhid Hridoy, Mahedi Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Shamim Hossain, Nasum Ahmed, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Tanzim Hasan Sakib.
West Indies XI: Brandon King, Shai Hope (c&wk), Alick Athanaze, Sherfane Rutherford, Rovman Powell, Ackeem Auguste, Jason Holder, Gudakesh Motie, Roston Chase, Kharry Pierre, Akeal Hosein.
Key Players to look forward to in this clash
Saif Hassan: Saif Hassan has been in red hot form lately and gives the team fast starts in the T20 format and ODIs as well. Saif impressed one and all during the Asia Cup 2025 and the T20I series against Afghanistan as well. Saif will be expected to continue to deliver the goods and give his side flying starts especially in the powerplay as Bangladesh relies a lot on him to deliver.
Rishad Hossain: Rishad Hossain has been the man in form for Bangladesh with ball and bat in hand in the ODI series. He is a genuine wicket-taker and a power hitter lower down the order. He can score crucial runs down the order and pick wickets which is a complete package for Bangladesh. With the pitch expected to aid the spinners, we expect Rishad to shine and be a thorn for the West Indies. West Indies struggle against leg spinners and Rishad will look to exploit that.
Shai Hope: The West Indies captain is Mr. Dependable and although T20 is not his stronger suit, he will be expected to show consistency and hold one end up. If he plays well, he can accelerate towards the end. Plus on these challenging tracks, Shai Hope’s value to the West Indies team becomes all the more crucial. The other power hitters can bat around him and drive home the platform set by him. So, Hope has an important role to play for the West Indies.
Akeal Hosein: Akeal Hosein is a gun bowler in white-ball cricket especially in T20s. He can take wickets and stem the flow of runs as well. He bowls in the powerplay and really can give his side a head-start in this match. He picks up wickets in the powerplay and finishes his spell before the death overs. He is West Indies’ number one bowler and all eyes will be on him to perform as the pitches will suit the spinners in general here and he will be expected to prize out some scalps.
Key Stats/Records that we have to watch out for in this clash
- Jason Holder is 7 sixes and 7 boundaries away from completing 50 fours and 50 sixes in his T20I career.
- Rovman Powell is set to play his 100th match in the upcoming T20I.
- Rovman Powell is 75 runs short of making 2000 T20I runs in his career.
- Litton Das is just two boundaries short of completing 250 fours in his T20I career.
- Nasum Ahmed is 4 wickets away from taking 50 T20I wickets in his career.
Possible/Predicted Outcome of the Match
It is difficult to predict a winner between these two unpredictable sides in the shortest format. Anyone can beat anyone on the given day. But looking at current form and on paper as well, we reckon Bangladesh starts this match and series as favourites and they should go 1-0 up in the series. Bangladesh had a decent Asia Cup and Afghanistan series while West Indies lost to Nepal 1-2 recently in T20Is.
So, taking everything into consideration, we feel Bangladesh should win this match but West Indies if they play out of their skins can create a surprise as they love playing the T20Is and have good players at their disposal who excel in this format. Let us see how things pan out when the series kicks off in Chattogram later today.
Also Read: BAN VS WI: 3 Reasons For West Indies’ Humiliating Defeat In 3rd ODI.