Put into bat first, India rode on Abhishek Sharma to power the innings forward. Given a reprieve on 7, Abhishek Sharma made Bangladesh pay for that and scored vital runs for India. He and Gill got India off to a great start but Bangladesh have roared like a tiger to come back in the game.
Rishad Hossain led the way with the run out and two wickets and others chipped in as Bangladesh put a brake on the scoring and keep India down to 168/6 in 20 overs. It’s a good score, but a below par one on this surface and Bangladesh will fancy their chances of upstaging India from here. Bangladesh with the advantage at this stage.
Abhishek Sharma & Shubman Gill Gives India A Rollicking Start In Powerplay
Put into bat first by Bangladesh, Indian openers Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill came out to bat while Tanzim Hasan Sakib had ball in hand for Bangladesh. Sakib started off with a quiet over. Nasum Ahmed was given the ball from the other end. Abhishek broke the shackles as he sliced Nasum over deep backward point for a boundary. Then a big moment in the game came when Abhishek Sharma batting on 7 was put down by Jaker Ali the keeper batter off Sakib’s bowling as India’s score was only 10 in the third over and this miss proved to be costly for Bangladesh.
Nasum continued as Gill broke free now hitting him past mid-on for a boundary. The next ball Gill came down the track and clubbed him over deep midwicket for the maximum. Gill got 3 runs while Abhishek got underneath it and pumped over long-on for the maximum. Mustafizur Rahman came into the attack next. Abhishek took him on by clobbering him over wide long-on for the maximum.
Abhishek was not done yet as he sliced it away behind square on the off-side over deep third man for the maximum. Mohammad Saifuddin came into the attack to bowl the final over of powerplay. Abhishek stepped down the track and thrashed it over top of cover point for a boundary. Abhishek was in the zone as he thumped it over top of extra cover for a boundary. Abhishek hit another boundary this time over top of backward point and then completed a hat-trick of boundaries by driving it through the covers. 17 runs came off the last over of powerplay as India reached 72/0 in 6 overs and off to a rollicking start.
Bangladesh Roar Back With Wickets To Peg India Back at 132/5 in 15 overs
Rishad Hossain came into the attack post the powerplay as Gill welcomed him with a boundary by a drive through the covers. Rishad had the last laugh as he got rid of Shubman Gill for 29 off 19 balls with 2 fours and a maximum to his name. Rishad tossed it up around the fourth stump line slower through the air. Gill pressed forward and looked to smash it over long-off. He mistimed it from the toe end of his blade. Sakib took the catch at long-off. Shivam Dube was promoted up the order at 3.
He got off the mark soon. Saif Hassan was introduced into the attack. Abhishek Sharma got to yet another fifty in 25 balls as he made it back-to-back fifties for himself in Asia Cup 2025. Saif bowled a decent over. Rishad got another as he got rid of Shivam Dube for 2 off 3 balls. Rishad bowled from around the wicket a tossed up delivery full around off-stump was a googly from the bowler.
Dube cleared his front leg and looked to smash it over long-on. He sliced it aerially down the ground as Towhid Hridoy at long-off settled underneath it and took the catch. Captain Suryakumar Yadav came out to bat next.
Abhishek then hit Rishad by a slog sweep over deep midwicket for the maximum. Saif Hassan bowled another decent over as India went into the Drinks Break in a decent position at 96/2 in 10 overs. Saifuddin came back into the attack and was welcomed with a maximum from Abhishek over long-off. The 100 came up for India with that hit in 10.1 overs. Abhishek smashed Saifuddin through extra cover for a boundary.
Mustafizur Rahman came back into the attack. Against the run of play, Abhishek Sharma was run out for 75 off 37 balls with 6 fours and 5 sixes to his name. Mix-up between the two batters and Abhishek couldn’t get back home in time. Hardik Pandya came out to bat next. The Fizz struck when he got rid of SKY for 5 off 11 balls. Short and outside the leg stump, Surya went for the pick up shot across the line. There was a deflection on the naked eye as Jaker did well to dive to his left to complete the catch. The umpire gave it NOT OUT, but on review the decision was overturned. The 150th T20I scalp for Mustafizur Rahman. Tilak Varma came out to bat next.
Rishad came back into the attack as Hardik smashed him over long-off for the maximum. Nasum returned to the bowling attack and bowled a miserly over. Tanzim Hasan Sakib came back into the attack. He got rid of Tilak Varma for 5 off 7 balls. Tanzim bowled a full and slow ball pitching on the off-stump line. Tilak leaned forward and mistimed the lofted flick shot across the line. He hit it off the toe end of the bat. Saif Hassan at the midwicket boundary initially misjudged the ball but lunged forward and completed a low catch near the ropes. Axar Patel came out to bat next.
Axar got off the mark straightaway as India reached 132/5 in 15 overs with 5 overs to go in the innings. Bangladesh have done well to pull things back and keep the chase gettable for the Tigers.
Bangladesh keep things under check and keep India to 168/6 in 20 overs
Nasum Ahmed continued and bowled a tidy over. Mustafizur came back into the attack and wasted a review against Axar Patel with a caught behind appeal as there was no real spike on Ultra Edge. Hardik broke the shackles a little bit as he hit Mustafizur by clearing his front leg and went inside out over extra cover for a boundary. Tanzim Hasan Sakib returned to the attack as Pandya hit him through the covers by smothering through the covers for a boundary.
Sakib bowled a no ball due to height and the free hit yielded a couple of runs while Hardik got a fortunate boundary away off Sakib between the keeper and wide slip fielder. Mustafizur came to bowl the 19th over as Hardik hit him over covers for a boundary. Saifuddin came to bowl the last over and what a last over he bowled.
Axar was struggling to time the ball while Hardik got out off the final ball of the innings for 38 off 29 balls with 4 fours and a maximum to his name. Saifuddin bowled a full length delivery outside the off-stump line. He stuck his feet in the crease and used his upper body and wrists to swing hard down the ground. He got the elevation but not the distance as Tanzid took a simple catch at long-off. Axar Patel remained unbeaten on 10 off 15 balls. India finished with a paltry 168/6 in 20 overs. Just 4 extras given by Bangladesh players.
Bangladesh came back well with the ball and leading the way was Rishad Hossain with figures of 2/27 in 3 overs. Tanzim Hasan Sakib finished with 1/29 in 4 overs. Mustafizur Rahman finished with 1/33 in 4 overs. Mohammad Saifuddin finished with 1/37 in 3 overs. Saif Hassan bowled 2 overs for 7 runs while Nasum gave 34 runs in 4 overs. Bangladesh needs 169 to win the contest and almost qualify for the finals.
What Lies Ahead in the Contest
Bangladesh have done well to roar back and keep India down to 168/6 in 20 overs. India were well-placed but they blew the chance to capitalize. India have got the runs on the board but Bangladesh will fancy their chances. We are foreseeing a close game but at the moment Bangladesh have the momentum and have their noses in front at this stage. India have to bowl really well to win this.
Let’s see how the chase pans out for both teams.
Also Read: Asia Cup 2025: Abrar Ahmed’s Economical Spell Flabbergasts Sri Lanka