In the 47th match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, India will take on Bangladesh at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua, tonight, i.e., June 22 at 8 PM IST.
With an average first-inning score of less than 100 and an average first-inning winning total of 122 for five, Antigua proved to be one of the lowest-scoring locations in this T20 World Cup. However, the Men in Blue have remained unconcerned with the changing circumstances and ground dimensions that have varied drastically from place to venue during this World Cup.
The unit will be worried about their opening pair, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who did not live up to expectations in the competition, with the latter only scoring 28 runs in four outings. On the other hand, skipper Rohit scored a half-century against Ireland in the opening game, but later failed to deliver. A good start from the openers is critical for India to maintain momentum against an opponent who could hamper their momentum in the ongoing tournament. Moving on, Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya have both given supporters reason to be optimistic, although Shivam Dube‘s form remains a concern. Jasprit Bumrah has been effective with the ball, while Arshdeep Singh, Axar Patel, and other players have backed each other in most games.
After making it to the Super 8, the side was quite confident, but the defeat to Australia probably made them less sure about themselves. Bangladesh, however, would want to play with a great deal of freedom when they face their formidable Asian rivals. Bangladesh’s middle-order bowlers and batters have brought the team to this encouraging position despite the top order’s lacklustre performance. Even in their warm-up game, India easily trounced Bangladesh, scoring 182/5 and prevailing by 60 runs. A lot will depend on Rishad’s leg spin in the middle overs once Mustafizur Rahman and Tanzim Hasan Sakib have done their part. Najmul Hossain, Litton Kumar Das, experienced Shakib al Hasan and Mahmudullah, will also have an important role to play tonight with the bat.
Head-to-Head:
Both teams have faced each other 13 times in the shortest format of the game, in which, India clinched 12 games, whereas Bangladesh have just one.
Where to watch:
TV: Star Sports
OTT: Disney+ Hotstar