It’s game number 23 of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 between Bangladesh and West Indies in Sharjah. It is the match between two teams lying at the bottom of the points table of Group 1 of the Super 12 stage and a must-win match for both the teams, as a loss here will most likely see them out of this tournament.
Both teams are coming with zero wins out of their two games in the Super 12 stage. Bangladesh lost pretty badly against both Sri Lanka and England. It’s the same case for the Windies, as they had an unforgettable outing against England first and then lost by eight wickets against South Africa. These two teams have a tough challenge ahead as they have to win everything that comes in their way, starting with this match itself. Let’s look at some of the key points from this clash.
Head-to-head in T20I:
Bangladesh and West Indies have been strong white-ball teams over the years and have a neck-to-neck record in T20 International matches. Out of the 12 occasions they have met against each other, West Indies have won six, and Bangladesh has won five. Bangladesh’s batting unit has performed well against the West Indies as they have the highest score of 211 runs against them, and they will hope for the same in this match.
West Indies have won just two of their last five meetings, while Bangladesh has won three of them. There are some major problems in the West Indies camp as this unit hasn’t looked like the vintage West Indian team. On the other hand, Bangladesh has shown potential, and they need to convert it into a win for keeping their hopes alive in this tournament.
Players to watch out – Bangladesh
If the Bangladeshi Tigers need to stay in this tournament, they will need their big guns to fire. Shakib has been in great bowling form in this tournament, and he needs to step up with the bat. Shakib has a great record against the Windies, and he needs to bring his all-round ability to the floor for Bangladesh to have any hopes of winning this match. Shakib has scored 236 at a strike rate of 141.31 with the bat, and with the ball in hand, he has picked up 19 wickets at an amazing economy rate of 6.75. The 19 wickets include a fifer, his best figures of 5/20, which he will need to recreate for Bangladesh to win the match.
The other player to watch out for is the Bangladeshi captain himself. Mahmudullah has a decent record against the Windies, scoring 232 at an astonishing average of 46.40. The Bangladeshi Tigers will need their captain to play the anchor innings and expect the likes of Shakib, Mushfiqur, etc. to click the hit button from the go. The Bangladeshi fans will be hoping for a true captain’s innings from Mahmudullah.
Players to watch out – West Indies
The Caribbean’s have looked awfully out of form in this year’s T20 World Cup, as both their bowlers and batters haven’t played to their potential. Each player in this Windies side can win matches single-handedly, but none have been able to do so. In this match against Bangladesh, West Indies will have hopes in their opener Evin Lewis, who was the only batsman to score runs in the last match. Lewis has decent numbers against Bangladesh, as he has scored 111 runs at an incredible strike rate of 181.96. He has the highest score of 89, and the West Indies will hope for another innings matching this, which will set the platform for their other hard-hitting batters.
Talking about hard-hitters, Andre Russell is one of the cleanest strikers of the cricket ball. Russell is the other player to watch out for as he has hit the ball at a strike rate of 160 against Bangladesh. West Indies will be hoping for a quick-fire cameo from Russell that would boost their scores and morale in this game, which could be the deciding factor in the match.
Probable XI:
Bangladesh: The Bangladeshi team might make zero changes to their squad, which played against the England team. Bangladesh has a few fast-bowling options in Taskin Ahmed and Rubel Hossain, but their current fast bowlers have looked good and have picked up wickets. Mahmudullah needs to back his boys for a chance to give a fight against the mighty Windies.
West Indies: The defending champions need to find the perfect balance in their playing XI. They have the players with potential and experience, but still, they have had two disappointing matches. West Indies might consider dropping Lendl Simmons after his disappointing performance with the bat against South Africa. Andre Fletcher is the best option to replace him, taking the opening position alongside Lewis.
The other change they might go with is replacing Ravi Rampaul with Oshane Thomas. The veteran Rampaul hasn’t looked best and has been bowling at speeds of less than 130 km/hr. Oshane Thomas will bring in the pace, which might be helpful on the sticky wickets of Sharjah.