India absolutely dominated Bangladesh in New Delhi, wrapping up the three-match T20I series 2-0 with one game still to go. Nitish Reddy was the star of the show, delivering an all-round performance that led to India’s massive 86-run victory, their biggest win over Bangladesh in T20Is.
After being put in to bat, India posted a hefty 221, thanks to a crucial 108-run stand between Nitish Reddy and Rinku Singh for the fourth wicket. The Delhi pitch was a batter’s paradise, living up to its pre-match hype. Bangladesh had a brief moment of hope during the PowerPlay, grabbing three quick wickets—Sanju Samson and Suryakumar Yadav fell to mistimed shots at mid-off, and Abhishek Sharma was bowled after scoring 15. But India’s middle order steadied the ship and powered them to a strong total.
India began the innings with strong intent, as Sanju Samson hit two boundaries off Mehidy Hasan’s opening over, while Abhishek Sharma added another in the same over. However, their momentum was briefly halted as Bangladesh’s pacers hit back. Taskin Ahmed and Tanzim Hasan Sakib dismissed Samson and Abhishek in consecutive overs, followed by Mustafizur Rahman getting the prized wicket of skipper Suryakumar Yadav. Despite these early setbacks, India managed a decent PowerPlay score of 45 but found themselves in a tricky situation with three key wickets down.
Rinku Singh and Nitish Reddy initially took their time to settle in before taking on the spinners. Rinku’s slog-swept six off leg-spinner Rishad Hossain was the first sign of their attacking intent, and Nitish followed suit by smashing a six off Mahmudullah in the next over. The 10th over marked a turning point, with Rishad Hossain being taken apart for three sixes and a four, yielding 24 runs in total. Even when the pacers returned, the aggressive approach continued. Nitish launched a six over long-on, while Rinku pierced the field with a boundary, putting Mustafizur Rahman under pressure.
Nitish Reddy reached his maiden international fifty in just 27 balls as the partnership between him and Rinku Singh accelerated rapidly. The duo brought up their 100-run stand in style, with Nitish smashing Mehidy Hasan for three sixes and a four. His blazing innings of 74 from 34 balls came to an end when he was deceived by a slower ball from Mustafizur Rahman, but by then, he had already shifted the game’s momentum. Hardik Pandya took over, immediately hammering Rishad for a four and a six, while Rinku continued his assault, striking Tanzim for two fours and a six to bring up his own fifty off 26 balls. His fiery knock ended when he pulled Taskin Ahmed to deep midwicket.
Hardik Pandya and Riyan Parag maintained the momentum, consistently finding the boundaries as India surged past 200 runs in the penultimate over. However, their aggressive approach led to some late setbacks, with four wickets falling in the last seven balls, preventing them from posting an even higher total. Despite this, 221 was more than sufficient, as Bangladesh struggled to mount a serious challenge during their chase.
Although Parvez Hossain Meroz began brightly by scoring three boundaries off Arshdeep Singh in the opening over, Bangladesh’s innings quickly deteriorated. Arshdeep struck back in the next over, claiming a wicket as Meroz chopped on. Washington Sundar made an immediate impact in his first over, trapping Najmul Hossain Shanto, who misplayed a shot to long-on. The spinners continued to wreak havoc, with Varun Chakaravarthy and Abhishek Sharma both taking wickets in their opening overs. Bangladesh’s collapse was swift, losing three wickets for just six runs in a span of 14 balls, which sent them into a downward spiral.
Mahmudullah and Mehidy Hasan managed to stabilize the innings for a brief period until Mehidy fell, hitting a catch straight to long-off. Nitish Reddy then capped off his impressive performance with the bat by taking two wickets in the later stages of the innings, rounding off a nearly flawless day for him and contributing significantly to India’s victory.
Mahmudullah and Mehidy Hasan tried to steady the innings for a while, but their partnership was short-lived when Mehidy hit a catch straight to long-off. Meanwhile, Nitish Reddy, who had already showcased his batting skills, capped off his outstanding performance by claiming two wickets in the final overs. It was a near-perfect day for him, playing a crucial role in securing India’s victory.
