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HomeBangladeshWest Indies v Bangladesh 1st T20I Preview

West Indies v Bangladesh 1st T20I Preview

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Last Updated on 6 years by Charbel Coorey

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What an interesting tour it’s been to date.

West Indies thrashed Bangladesh in the Tests, but then the Tigers roared back in the ODIs to go some way to salvaging what was a nightmare tour.

So, will it be West Indies to bounce back in the T20Is? They have rested Chris Gayle, but their prowess in T20 cricket still shines. They start this series favourites against a side that is yet to get a proper grasp of this format, contrary to the Windies, who are the current World T20 Champions. Can they make a better start to this series than they did the ODIs?

Yes, Bangladesh still haven’t grasped this format as their talent suggests they should. Their last assignment was a disappointing, yet not overly surprising 3-0 defeat against Afghanistan, where the third match was their 18th defeat in their last 21 T20Is. So, what will change for Bangladesh this time? Have they learnt from previous mistakes? It remains to be seen.

Key to a West Indies win

West Indies have powerful hitters right throughout their batting line up. Against a bowling line up that typically struggles when the opposition is looking to go big, a great opportunity presents West Indies.

The Windies’ possible top six on paper alone is enough to make Bangladesh worry. Evin Lewis is nearing his 100th T20 match, striking at 146. Andre Fletcher, whilst his T20I career strike rate is only 108, can provide an important foil in what will be a hard hitting batting line up that also comprises of Marlon Samuels, Denesh Ramdin, Andre Russell and Rovman Powell, who recently hit 74 off 41 balls in the 3rd ODI. Don’t forget Carlos Brathwaite, too.

Can they put Bangladesh under so much pressure that the Tigers are left clueless? That’s the key. If their batting fires, any total Bangladesh put up is unlikely to be enough.

Key to a Bangladesh win

West Indies will want to blast the Bangladeshis all over St. Kitts, but the Tigers need to find ways to keep them quiet. 
A lot depends on Mustafizur Rahman and Mehidy Hasan Miraz to bowl good spells. However, whether the likes of Rubel Hossain and Abu Jayed can contribute to the cause as well remains to be seen. Bangladesh simply must put together a cohesive bowling effort.
Also, Tamim Iqbal, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah were key performers for Bangladesh in their ODI series win. With Anamul Haque and Sabbir Rahman looking as useful as using a fork when having soup, Bangladesh need these four to step up.

Possible teams

West Indies possible XI: 1. Evin Lewis, 2. Andre Fletcher, 3. Marlon Samuels, 4. Denesh Ramdin, 5. Andre Russell, 6. Rovman Powell, 7. Carlos Brathwaite (c), 8. Keemo Paul, 9. Ashley Nurse, 10. Samuel Badree, 11. Kesrick Williams
Bangladesh XI: 1. Liton Das, 2. Tamim Iqbal, 3. Shakib Al Hasan (c), 4. Mushfiqur Rahim, 5. Mahmudullah, 6. Soumya Sarkar, 7. Ariful Haque, 8. Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 9. Mustafizur Rahman, 10. Nazmul Islam, 11. Abu Jayed

Stats and Facts

  • The last T20I between these two sides was washed out in 2014, also in St. Kitts. Weather is expected to be clear for this one.
  • Head-to-Head (excluding no result): West Indies 3, Bangladesh 2
  • Bangladesh have lost 18 of their last 21 T20Is, and have won a three-match series once, against Ireland in 2012.

Prediction

Bangladesh need to prove that they can improve in the T20I format. Because they haven’t shown that in the last few years, I will predict a West Indies win, though I’m hoping for a really strong Bangladesh performance.

In the meantime, be sure to check out my six big predictions for the England v India Test series!

Thanks for reading!

Charbel Coorey
Charbel Cooreyhttps://cricblog.net
Charbel is the owner & founder of cricblog.net, based in Sydney, Australia. He started the website to fulfill his love for the game of cricket. Charbel has been featured on other publications including OP India, Times of India, and The Roar, among others. He is also a keen fantasy sports player. Charbel has also had the privilege of interviewing cricketers on the CricBlog TV YouTube channel, including James Neesham, Rassie van der Dussen, Andrew Tye, Shreyas Gopal, Jaydev Unadkat and Saurabh Netravalkar: https://www.youtube.com/@cricblogtv For any story tips or questions, you can contact Charbel at charbelcoorey@cricblog.net.

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