That’s all from Chattogram! It was the first-ever T20I clash between these two sides at this venue, and the West Indies came out on top against the Bangla Tigers. The visitors take a 1-0 lead in the series with a commanding performance. The action now shifts to the second T20I on Wednesday, right here in Chattogram, where Bangladesh will be eager to bounce back and level the series.
For now, this is Pritam Dey signing off on behalf of my co-commentator Darpan Tikiya who, along with scorer/analyst Yogesh Kumar & statistician Arjun Bhalla brought all the updates of this clash. Stay tuned for more cricketing action from around the world. BYE BYE👋
Shai Hope (West Indies captain): "I just thought that we assessed the conditions really well today. We would have obviously wanted a few more runs. But having wickets in hands helped us. Rovman played really well. When you execute the plans you discussed in the team meetings, your job as the skipper becomes very easy."
Rovman Powell (Player of the Match): "Well at the end I was pleased. It was difficult to get a start on that wicket. At one stage I was on 7 off 20 deliveries but I kept believing on myself. I was just one good shot away from turning it around.
We just wanted to take the innings as deep as possible. We knew it won't be easy for the guys coming in. They needed a few balls under their belt. Unfortunately when we reached the 20th over, me and my captain had some balls under our belts to maximize."
Player of the Match: Rovman Powell
Litton Das (Bangladesh captain): "I thought they batted really well in the first 10 overs. The wicket was a bit on the slower side. Till the 19th over (of the first innings) we were in the game. It has happened in the game several times. Someone will come and hit the ball in the final over.
We lost some wickets in the powerplay. I was really upset with the way Shamim batted. Every time you can't come and enjoy batting. You have to take responsibility. They fielded really well, took some really good catches."
9:22 PM IST, 9:52 PM local time: Time for the post match presentation. Let's hear from the two captains.
Taskin Ahmed becomes only the second Bangladesh batter to be dismissed hit-wicket in T20Is. The first was Nasum Ahmed, back in 2021 in Abu Dhabi against South Africa.
9:14 PM IST & 9:44 PM Local Time: That's the end of the contest and it’s the West Indies who emerge victorious! A dominant all-round show from the visitors has quietened the Chattogram crowd as they clinch the opening T20I by 16 runs. A clinical effort to kick off the T20I series.
Earlier in the day, West Indies skipper Shai Hope won the toss and chose to bat first. The visitors got off to a steady start as openers Alick Athanaze and Brandon King stitched together a 59-run partnership. Athanaze took the attack to the bowlers early on, while King took his time to settle in. The stand was eventually broken by Rishad Hossain, who dismissed Athanaze for a brisk 34 off 27 balls. Soon after, Taskin Ahmed turned the tide in the 13th over with a double strike—removing King for a sluggish 33 off 36 and sending Sherfane Rutherford back for a golden duck, leaving West Indies wobbling at 82/3.
The momentum swung firmly in West Indies’ favour as skipper Shai Hope and Rovman Powell stitched together a commanding unbeaten fourth-wicket stand. Hope led from the front with a brisk 46* off 28 balls, while Powell unleashed his power game with a fiery 44* off 28. Their onslaught in the final overs completely changed the complexion of the innings, with the duo smashing 83 runs in the last eight overs to take West Indies to a strong 165/3. For Bangladesh, Taskin Ahmed was the standout bowler, finishing with figures of 2/36.
In reply, Bangladesh endured a nightmare start, losing four wickets inside the Powerplay and slipping to 41/4. Tanzid Hasan tried to counterattack with a brief cameo, but his innings was cut short by a brilliant catch from Romario Shepherd at mid-on. The early collapse completely stalled Bangladesh’s momentum as their top order crumbled under pressure. Akeal Hosein and Jayden Seales did the early damage, striking twice each to leave the hosts in all sorts of trouble during the first six overs.
Despite the constant fall of wickets, Bangladesh managed to show some fight through the middle overs. Towhid Hridoy held things together with a composed 28, while a gritty lower-order stand between Tanzim Hasan Sakib and Nasum Ahmed offered a glimmer of hope. Tanzim played a spirited knock of 33 off 27 balls, and Nasum chipped in with a quickfire 20 off 13 balls, trying to keep the asking rate within reach. However, their efforts weren’t enough to bring Bangladesh back into the contest.
However, the early collapse left Bangladesh with too steep a mountain to climb. The West Indies bowlers stayed disciplined, sticking to their plans and expertly exploiting the scoreboard pressure. Their relentless approach paid off as Bangladesh were bundled out for 149 in 19.4 overs, handing the visitors a 16-run victory and a 1-0 lead in the three-match T20I series. Jayden Seales starred with figures of 3/32, while Jason Holder was equally impressive, claiming 3/31 to round off a superb bowling effort. Stay tuned for the Post-Match Presentation!