In a pre-winter T20I clash that felt like a mid-summer IPL night, India dominated Bangladesh in the 2nd T20I at Delhi’s Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium, cruising to an 86-run win. With this victory, India clinched the series with an unassailable 2-0 lead.
Nitish Reddy’s Power Show 🌟
The star of the night was the 21-year-old sensation Nitish Kumar Reddy, who put on a breathtaking display of six-hitting. Reddy blasted 74 off 34 balls, smashing seven massive sixes — six of them against the spinners. Starting cautiously at 13 off 13 balls, Reddy found his groove after sending Mahmudullah over long-on for a towering six, and from there, the floodgates opened.
His blistering knock included back-to-back sixes off leg-spinner Rishad Hossain in the 10th over, triggering a carnage that saw India post a daunting 221/9.
Maiden T20I Half-Century for Nitish Kumar Reddy 🔥🔥
— BCCI (@BCCI) October 9, 2024
Watch him hit two consecutive sixes off Rishad Hossain's bowling!
Live – https://t.co/Otw9CpO67y…… #INDvBAN@IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/jmq5Yt711n
Support from Rinku & Pandya 🚀
Nitish found an ideal partner in Rinku Singh, whose own six-hitting spree helped maintain the momentum. Rinku’s 50 off 26 balls and Hardik Pandya’s quickfire 32 off 19 added to the Bangladesh bowlers’ misery. Pandya also contributed with a huge six, and even No. 10 Arshdeep Singh joined the six-fest, much to the amusement of the Indian dugout.
By the end of the innings, India had hammered a total of 15 sixes, dwarfing Bangladesh’s mere four. The batting strike rates of India’s top seven batters all exceeded 135, with Reddy boasting a jaw-dropping 217.64!
Bangladesh’s Meek Surrender 😔
Chasing 222, Bangladesh never really got going. After the first T20I loss, skipper Najmum Shanto admitted that his team struggled to match India’s skills and mentality, and it showed once again. Despite Taskin Ahmed’s commendable 4-0-16-2 spell, Bangladesh’s batting faltered, managing just 135/9 in 20 overs.
Final Thoughts 🏏
India’s new aggressive approach, focused on keeping the strike rate up and not worrying about milestones, paid off brilliantly in Delhi. With Nitish Reddy’s all-round heroics and Rinku’s power-hitting, India dominated Bangladesh, highlighting the wide skill gap between the two teams. As the series wraps up, India’s young guns are proving to be the stars of tomorrow.
India wins the match by 86 runs and the series 2-0!