The eighth edition of the Twenty20 format World Cup has heated up as all the teams in both groups are still in the race for a semifinal spot. The tournament’s Super 12 Round has been haunted heavily by the inclement weather as four matches have already been abandoned this round. Let’s take a look at the current scenario of the Super 12s points table of the T20 World Cup 2022.  Twenty20 World Cup 2022: Points standing scenarios for Group 1 and Group 2 Prior to the Super 12 Round, three teams from each group were considered favourites to earn a place in the semifinals. But that equation has changed since this round started on October 22. The cricket world has already seen two upsets in each group of Super 12s. Read: T20 World Cup: Australia-England match also washed out due to rain The group stage scenarios have become even more intriguing after Ireland defeated England by 5 runs and Zimbabwe defeated Pakistan by 1 run, making the group stage scenarios even more intriguing. Here are the current scenarios for each group. Group 1 The hot favourites and reigning champions, Australia, started their campaign with a disappointing 89-run loss to New Zealand on October 22. The Aussie side’s massive defeat to the Blackcaps was a shock to many, but it immediately made the competition even more interesting. Five matches have been staged in this group so far, and three matches were abandoned due to rain. The cancellation of the fixtures has had a huge impact on the overall points standings in this group. The matches that have been abandoned so far are Afghanistan vs New Zealand, Afghanistan vs Ireland, and the big contest between Australia and New Zealand were canceled due to inclement weather conditions. Afghanistan are sitting at the bottom of the points table with 2 points without winning a contest. On the other hand, New Zealand, England, Ireland, and Australia all have 3 points each and hold the top four spots based on run rates. New Zealand and Sri Lanka are in a favourable position to move to the semifinals as they have three matches left each. The rest of the teams in Group 1 have two matches left each. Group 1 points standings (as on October 28) Team Match Win Loss N/R Points NRR New Zealand 2 1 0 1 3 4.450 England 3 1 1 1 3 0.239 Ireland 3 1 1 1 3 -1.169 Australia 3 1 1 1 3 -1.555 Sri Lanka 2 1 1 0 2 0.450 Afghanistan 3 0 1 2 2 -0.620   Read: T20 World Cup: Ireland-Afghanistan match abandoned due to rain Group 2 The Group 2’s Super 12 Round started with a big match between arch-rivals India and Pakistan on October 23. The Indian side overcame the nerve-wracking contest by 4 wickets. India remained in the top spot with a comfortable victory over the Netherlands in their second match. Pakistan's campaign, on the other hand, was expected to make a strong comeback after their disappointing loss to India in their opening fixture. However, they conceded a mere 1-run defeat to Zimbabwe in their second encounter and currently are at the second bottom of the Group 2 point standings. South Africa showed a dominating performance against Bangladesh after losing points with Zimbabwe in their opening match. Bangladesh started their campaign with a good victory over the Netherlands, but they were really poor against the Proteas side in their second outing of the competition. All the teams in this group have played two matches each and are still in the race for a place in the semifinals. Group 2 points standings (as on October 28) Team Match Win Loss N/R Points NRR India 2 2 0 0 4 1.425 South Africa 2 1 0 1 3 5.200 Zimbabwe 2 1 0 1 3 0.050 Bangladesh 2 1 1 0 2 -2.375 Pakistan 2 0 2 0 0 -0.050 Netherlands  2 0 2 0 0 -1.625   Read: T20 World Cup: Zimbabwe stun Pakistan by 1 run Bottom Line The host is currently quite concerned since matches have been postponed due to inclement weather. Furthermore, the unexpected rain could hurt the favourite countries at the end of the Super 12s. The present Super 12 Round points table situation makes the T20 World Cup 2022 event even more exciting, which indicates that every country has a chance to proceed to the knockout stage.

South Africa have had an instance of being eliminated from ICC events after losing points due to inclement weather. They started the T20 World Cup 2022 campaign by sharing 1 point each with Zimbabwe and now hope for good weather for their Thursday fixture against Bangladesh in Sydney. Tigers, on the other hand, will be looking to choke an under-pressure Proteas side in order to secure their second consecutive victory. 2022 Twenty20 World Cup: Bangladesh vs South Africa Match Preview South Africa are a way better team than Bangladesh in all departments. In addition, the conditions will also favour the Proteas side as their players are well versed in what it takes to perform better on Australian pitches. The South African side, therefore, is expected to show a dominant performance against Bangladesh in order to clinch their first victory of the competition. Read: T20 World Cup 2022: Ireland upset England in rain-hit match Bangladesh players, on the other hand, have no prior experience of playing in Australia. Besides, the batters have continued to show their limitations in execution. The expectations from the batting unit, therefore, should not be so high. Keeping as many wickets as possible in hand for the death overs would be key for them to consolidate a challenging total to defend. If the Tigers are to upset the Proteas, the pace bowlers will have to shoulder the majority of the responsibility, as they did in the first match. Bangladesh vs South Africa: H2H T20I Record Bangladesh have no wins in the T20 format against South Africa. They have lost all seven matches played against the Proteas national men’s side. The Proteas will once again be favourites to win tomorrow’s match, but the Tigers will try to make it harder for them. South Africa vs Bangladesh match schedule The game will take place at the iconic Sydney Cricket Ground on Thursday (October 27). As per the fixture, the match will start at 9 a.m. (Bangladesh Standard Time). Sydney Cricket Ground’s T20I stats The match between Bangladesh and South Africa will be held at the Sydney Cricket Ground in Sydney. Twelve T20I matches have been played at this venue so far. Here are some notable Twenty20 International stats for the stadium. Matches Played (T20I): 12 | Bat First Won: 5 | Bat Second Won: 5 | Highest Team Innings: 221/5 | Lowest Team Innings:111 | Highest Run Chased: 200/3 | Highest Individual Innings: 124* | Best Bowling Figure: 4/12 Read: Afghanistan vs New Zealand T20 world Cup Live Streaming: Where and How to watch live, Playing XI Sydney weather and pitch report The weather has been good in Sydney, but there is a strong possibility of rain on Thursday afternoon, which could halt the contest. The toss-winning captain may like to defend here at the SCG. Bangladesh vs South Africa 2022 Twenty20 World Cup: Who will likely be in the playing XI The Bangladesh team might not make any changes to their winning combination. However, one spinner could find a place in the team given the fact that South Africa may find it difficult to negotiate the slower bowlers. On the other hand, South Africa may include spinner Tabraiz Shamsi in place of a fast bowler. Bangladesh (probable playing XI)Top-Order: Soumya Sarkar, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Litton Das, Middle-Order: Shakib Al Hasan (captain), Afif Hossain, Yasir Ali, Nurul Hasan (wicket-keeper), Mosaddek Hossain, Lower-Order: Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Hasan Mahmud South Africa (probable playing XI) Top-Order: Quinton de Kock (wicket-keeper), Temba Bavuma (captain), Rilee Rossouw, Middle-Order: Aiden Markram, David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Wayne Parnell, Keshav Maharaj, Lower-Order: Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Lungi Ngidi Read: T20 World Cup: Tigers reach Sydney for battle against South Africa Aftermath The South African team is a little upset after losing points in their first match of the T20 World Cup 2022 because of the bad weather. The Proteas will aim to play aggressively against the Tigers on Thursday in order to boost their run rates apart from claiming all three points. On the other hand, Bangladesh should attempt to exert pressure on the South African side by playing their natural game and frustrating the players.

One of the main reasons for playing international series heading to the T20 World Cup 2022 is to find the right balance in the playing XI. However, the Bangladesh players' tri-nation series performances have been underwhelming. The concern of whether the Bangladeshi team has lived up to expectations in its preparatory matches still remains. How have the players performed in the preparatory international fixtures? The Bangladesh T20I team competed in a two-match series against the host United Arab Emirates in September following a lackluster performance at the Asia Cup 2022. The Tigers defeated the weak UAE team comfortably, but most of the players' performances fell short of expectations. Read: Tri-Series: As Bangladesh suffer another defeat, New Zealand march to final Bangladesh’s real test was awaiting in the New Zealand tri-nation series, and the worry has been confirmed once the series got underway. The team appears to lack a game plan; the batters have made bad shot choices and have approached the game with little effort; and the bowling unit hasn't been efficient enough on New Zealand's fast track. Taskin Ahmed in bowling and Shakib Al Hasan in batting have shown good intentions among the players. Taskin’s accuracy, pace, and economy rates have all been satisfactory. He has picked up 2 wickets with an economy rate of 7.37 in 2 matches of the tri-nation series. Shakib, on the other hand, has been struggling to find his rhythm with the ball. He has yet to earn a wicket and has an economy rate of 9 in two outings. However, Shakib’s 70 off 44 balls against New Zealand on Wednesday was encouraging despite Bangladesh losing the contest handsomely by 48 runs. Among the others, none has had a particularly impressive performance in the series to date. Afif Hossain and Litton Das are considered special talents. Both had a couple of good starts but couldn’t prolong their innings. What’s more annoying is that after spending some time in the middle, they repeatedly make mistakes which cost their wickets. Yasir Ali played a hard-hitting knock in the death overs against Pakistan in the series opener, which impressed many. Bangladesh can consider him to be sent up in the batting order. In bowling, spinners Nasum Ahmed and Mehidy Hasan Miraz have maintained good economy rates, but they may not be go-to bowlers during the main event. The faster bowlers are expected to do well on fast bouncy wickets, but except for Taskin, all have failed to meet the expectations. Bangladesh’s team performance hasn’t been up to the mark in this tri-nation series. Bowlers' main concern has been about not giving away too many runs, avoiding focusing more on picking up wickets. There is no specific strategy for batting. The batters have tried to play big shots whenever the asking rates go up. Everyone needs a specific role in batting in order to have the desired outcome from a contest. It seems every batter in Bangladesh tries, but none of them succeed. Read: T20 World Cup 2022: Five potential candidates for most sixes

The Bangladesh men’s cricket team upset the majority of the cricket fans in their first of two matches in the T20I series against the UAE on Sunday (September 25). The team Tigers had a difficult outing overall and just narrowly won the contest by 7 runs. With less than three weeks left before the T20 World Cup 2022 begins, the expectation from Bangladesh is to show a commanding performance against the ICC’s associate nation, UAE. Can the Tigers fulfill the expectations in the Bangladesh vs UAE second match of the series? Bangladesh vs UAE 2022: Second T20I Match Preview Bangladesh have a 2-0 advantage in head-to-head contests over the United Arab Emirates and will start as favourites to win the second T20I as well as the series. However, all eyes will be on how the Bangladesh players fare in the contest. The match will start at 8 p.m. (Bangladesh Standard Time) at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Tuesday (September 27). Read: Bangladesh squad for Women's T20 Asia Cup announced Bangladesh Bangladesh’s overall team performance in the first match wasn’t up to the mark, failing to impress the majority of the fans. Bangladesh’s captain for the series, Nurul Hasan Sohan, did well in the fielding setup and bowling rotation. Nurul’s outing as a power hitter in the lower middle order was decent; he scored 35 runs off 25 balls. Afif Hossain impressed everyone with his aggression with the bat. He remained unbeaten with 77 with 140 strike rates. Except for these two batters, others failed miserably, and at one stage they seemed to finish the innings well below 150. Solid performances from the top order and from the middle orders will be expected in the second match. In particular, the focus will be on the batters strike rates. Left-arm pacer Shoriful Islam and off-spinner Mehidy Hasan Miraz were the two successful bowlers for Bangladesh in the series opener. They both scalped 3 wickets each with an economy rate of under 6. However, what’s more worrying is that the team’s premier fast bowler, Mustafizur Rahman, failed to put pressure on the opposition batting line-up despite picking up two wickets. The Tigers' go-to spinner, Nasum Ahmed, was also ineffective, and medium pacer Mohammad Saifuddin, was the costliest bowler of the match. The BCB now needs to rethink whether they were expecting unrealistically from Saifuddin. The right-hand pacer hasn’t been able to fulfill his expectations in recent series. He has snatched 18 wickets in 16 outings with an economy rate of 8.17 since January 2021. The important thing is to consider that the majority of his successes have come against weaker opponents or in familiar conditions. Saifuddin’s inclusion in the World Cup squad may not turn out as expected as the Cricket Board hoped for. The Tigers' bowling unit needs to come up with a better plan and show a dominant performance in the second match against the UAE. Predicted Playing XI (Bangladesh) Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Sabbir Rahman, Litton Das, Afif Hossain, Yasir Ali, Mosaddek Hossain, Nurul Hasan (captain & wicket-keeper), Nasum Ahmed, Mohammad Saifuddin, Mustafizur Rahman, Shoriful Islam Read: Shakib Al Hasan shines in Caribbean Premier League UAE The United Arab Emirates side will be delighted with the way they performed against Bangladesh in the first match of the 2-match Twenty20 International series. The UAE bowlers kept pressure on the Bangladesh batting unit till the halfway stage and were controlling the innings. Afif Hossain and Nurul Hasan came to the rescue, putting on an unbeaten 81*-run stand to help Bangladesh post a challenging total. Sabir Ali, Aayan Afzal Khan, and Karthik Meiyappan had fruitful outings against the Bangladesh batters with better economy rates. They will once again be important in the second match. Chirag Suri and Aayan Afzal Khan went after the Bangladesh bowling unit, and they weren’t hesitant to play strokes in the middle. In the series finale, these two batters will look to put pressure on the visiting side bowlers, so Bangladesh must be ready to deal with their aggression. There were other batters who started well but couldn’t prolong their innings, so they will try to have better outings in the second match. Predicted Playing XI (UAE) Muhammad Waseem, Chirag Suri, Aryan Lakra, Vriitya Aravind (wicket-keeper), Chundangapoyil Rizwan (captain), Basil Hameed, Aayan Afzal Khan, Zawar Farid, Karthik Meiyappan, Junaid Siddique, Sabir Ali Read: Bangladesh champions of ICC Women's T20 World Cup Qualifier 2022 Bangladesh vs United Arab Emirates Second T20I: Weather Prediction and Toss The temperature in Dubai on Tuesday will likely be pleasant with an expected 34 degrees Celsius. Even though Bangladesh won the first match by defending a 150+ total, the recent statistics indicate that the chasing team has a way better record than batting first. The toss-winning team, therefore, may opt to field first. Bottom Line Bangladesh showed a disappointing performance in the first of the 2-match series against the UAE ahead of the upcoming T20 World Cup. The performance of most of the players in the team was very disappointing. Therefore, everyone in the Tigers' playing XI should be more focused on their duties and committed to performing well in the Bangladesh vs UAE second Twenty20 International. Read: A narrow escape: Bangladesh beat UAE by 7 runs in 1st T20

Bangladesh clinched the BAN vs. NZ 2021 Twenty20 International series with one game to spare (September 8) after winning the fourth match by 6 wickets on Wednesday at the Sher-e-Bangla cricket stadium in Mirpur. New Zealand failed to put up a defending total on the board at the crucial fourth match. Bangladesh battled a little in the middle overs but won the match in the last over. The host will try to make it 4-1 in the series with a victory on Friday (September 10). The top performers in Bangladesh's series-clinching victory over New Zealand have been highlighted in this article. BAN vs. NZ 2021: Match Report of the Fourth T20I New Zealand needed to win this match in order to stay alive in the series. But they were bowled out for only 93 runs with three balls remaining after electing to bat first on a spin-friendly surface. Will Young batted well for New Zealand, scoring 46 runs. He didn't get enough support from the other end to get the innings to a respectable total. Bangladesh's pacer Mustafizur Rahman and spinner Nasum Ahmed each took four wickets. In the chase, Bangladesh lost three wickets for 32 runs in the power play. However, a 35-run partnership between Mohammad Naim and Mahmudullah Riyad for the fourth wicket, followed by an unbroken 29*-run stand between skipper Mahmudullah and Afif Hossain in the first ball of the 20th over, aided Bangladesh to seal the victory. Read Bangladesh announces 15-member squad for T20 World Cup Mahmudullah played a captain's knock with 43* runs. On the other hand, Ajaz Patel was outstanding once again for the Blackcaps, taking two wickets for only 9 runs in four overs. The player of the match award went to Bangladeshi spinner Nasum Ahmed. Nasum's Spin Hindered New Zealand's Progress To begin the innings, Bangladesh captain Mahmudullah handed the ball to left-arm spinner Nasum Ahmed, who seized the opportunity by dismissing Rachin Ravindra in the fifth ball of the first over. Nasum's superb spinning deliveries had posed a challenge for New Zealand in the middle. They sought to be aggressive against him in an attempt to disrupt his rhythm, but they ended up handing him their wickets. Nasum struck again in the third over of the innings, sending Finn Allen back to the pavilion. New Zealand were under pressure in the middle after losing two wickets in three overs. However, a 35-run partnership between skipper Tom Latham (21) and Will Young gave New Zealand some hope of putting up a total of around 150. Read Tigers record maiden T20I series win vs New Zealand When Mahadi Hasan broke the partnership in the 11th over, Mahmudullah recalled Nasum to put pressure on the New Zealand middle order. Nasum struck twice in the 12th over, bringing New Zealand to 52/5. After doing his part with the ball, Nasum Ahmed ended his spell with 4-0-10-4, his best ever T20I spell. Mustafiz's Cutter Magic in the Death Overs Left-arm pacer Mustafizur Rahman has developed into a death-over specialist over the years. The batters find it difficult to negotiate with his lethal slower and cutter deliveries. Read Nasum, Mustafiz take four each as NZ tumble for 93 Mustafizur Rahman got fired up again in the fourth match, taking four important wickets for Bangladesh. Mustafizur Rahman rocked New Zealand's lower order with his off-cutter deliveries, picking up four wickets. Mustafizur took the last two New Zealand wickets in back-to-back deliveries. So, he will complete his hat-trick if he picks up a wicket in the first delivery of the fifth match. Mustafizur finished his spell with 3.3-0-12-4. Opener Mohammad Naim's Patient Batting Since Tamim Iqbal will not be playing in the ICC T20 World Cup, someone else will have to step in to fill his shoes. Thankfully, opener Mohammad Naim has been consistent for Bangladesh in recent T20 matches. If he continues to improve as an opener, he has the potential to be a long-term member of the Bangladesh national team. Read ESPNcricinfo’s Mohamad Isam to conduct online sports journalism course Mohammad Naim was instrumental in clinching the series in the fourth match when the team was pursuing a low total. He batted till the 15th over and had some solid partnerships with Shakib Al Hasan and Captain Mahmudullah Riyad. His 35-run partnership with Riyad, in particular, helped Bangladesh to easily chase down the target. Naim scored 29 runs in 35 balls before being run out in the 15th over. In the context of the game, that was a pretty significant knock. Captain Mahmudullah's Match-Winning Innings Mahmudullah Riyad did a good job as captain, bowling New Zealand out for under 100 runs. However, when chasing this low total, he needed to play a decisive knock with the bat. Mahmudullah stepped out to bat in the seventh over and guided Bangladesh to victory in the final over of the match. Riyad formed two strong partnerships with Naim and Afif, ensuring that Bangladesh remained steadfast in their chase. The game-winning strike came from Mahmudullah's bat. He slog-swept McConchie for a four at deep midwicket to secure a historic series triumph against New Zealand. Read New Zealand opt to bat first in 4th T20I vs Bangladesh Bottom Line When looking at the top performers from the fourth match of the BAN vs. NZ 2021 series, it's apparent that skipper Mahmudullah Riyad, left-arm bowler Mustafizur Rahman, spinner Nasum Ahmed, and opener Mohammad Naim all played key roles in Bangladesh's series-clinching win over New Zealand. However, there were some flaws in Bangladesh cricketers’ performances, notably in batting, that must be addressed in order to improve further. Bangladesh's players must put up solid performances in the final match on Friday (September 10) to end the series on a high note. On the other hand, the New Zealand team will be keen to end the series with a consolation win. Read To take the series, Tigers must dig deep against resurgent Kiwis

Bangladesh's most dependable opening batsman and ODI skipper Tamim Iqbal announced his unavailability for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2021 squad in a Facebook video message on Wednesday (September 1). The experienced opener feels it will be unfair to young players who have been performing well for the last one year and have earned a place in the T20 team. He is also unprepared for the approaching mega-event as he hasn't played T20 cricket since March 2020. In this article, we have explored five potential replacements of Tamim Iqbal in the Bangladesh team for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2021.  Tamim Iqbal's T20I Career at a Glance Tamim Iqbal holds the majority of Bangladesh's batting records in all formats. Tamim Iqbal keeps the records for most international runs (14,155), most international centuries (24), most international half-centuries (89), and most ODI runs (7,666). Tamim also holds the record for the most runs scored in a T20I innings for Bangladesh, with 103 against Oman. Tamim Iqbal’s T20I statistics             Match Inn Runs HS S/R Ave 100s 78 78 1,758 103* 116.96 24.08 1 Read: BAN vs. AUS 2021: How Bangladesh Team Shapes Up Without Tamim, Mushfiqur? Five Players Who Can Replace Tamim Iqbal in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 5) Nurul Hasan Sohan T20I Stats: M: 18 | Inn: 18 | Runs:  148 | HS:  30* | S/R:  119.35 | 50s: 0 Nurul Hasan Sohan may not be Bangladesh's first pick to start the innings. He is more fitted to accelerate the run rates in the middle order. However, Nurul Hasan has played at the top of the order on the domestic circuit in T20 cricket. Bangladesh's team management may opt to open the innings with Nurul Hasan if anyone fails to deliver at the T20 World Cup. 4) Mahedi Hasan T20I Stats: M: 15 | Inn: 11 | Runs:  119 | HS:  23 | S/R:  99.16 | 50s: 0 Mahedi Hasan has a solid track record as an opener in the domestic circuit. As a result, there's no reason why he shouldn't be considered to open the innings for Bangladesh in the forthcoming T20 World Cup 2021. He is also an excellent off-spinner. Bangladesh can incorporate an extra batsman in the middle order if he plays as an opener. Read: Tamim to skip T20 World Cup, but he's not retiring 3) Soumya Sarkar T20I Stats: M: 61| Inn: 61| Runs:  1,105| HS:  68| S/R:  123.60 | 50s: 5 Soumya Sarkar is one of the best available options for Bangladesh in the opening position. He has been used as an opener in recent years. Unfortunately, Soumya Sarkar is inconsistent with the bat, which is why he has yet to secure his spot in Bangladesh's playing XI. However, with Tamim Iqbal out of the World Cup, Soumya will almost likely start the innings for Bangladesh. 2) Mohammad Naim T20I Stats: M: 18 | Inn: 18 | Runs:  466 | HS:  81 | S/R:  109.90 | 50s: 2 Mohammad Naim is almost certain to start as an opener in the 2021 World Cup. However, he hasn't been able to deliver consistent results with the bat lately. This tall aggressive-minded left-hand batsman needs to step up in the World Cup. Mohammad Naim can play the anchor role in batting for Bangladesh during the mega event. Read: Tamim to miss home series against Australia, New Zealand 1) Liton Das T20I Stats: M: 34 | Inn: 33| Runs:  647| HS:  61| S/R:  133.40 | 50s: 4 Liton Kumar Das has been one of Bangladesh's most successful opening batsmen in recent years. He is also known for being one of country's most elegant batsmen. Liton has struggled to find his rhythm with the bat since international cricket resumed at the beginning of this year. Liton Das and Soumya Sarkar will compete for an opening spot in Bangladesh's playing XI for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2021. Read:Tamim, Shohan guide Tigers to ODI series sweep against Zimbabwe Verdict Tamim Iqbal's T20I career stats shows that he is irreplaceable in the Bangladesh team when compared to the records of other Bangladesh top-order batsmen. Tamim Iqbal is the only Bangladesh batsman to have scored a century in all formats, and he can help to build the innings. Shakib or Mushfiqur will certainly play the anchor role for Bangladesh at the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2021 in the absence of Tamim Iqbal. Whoever replaces Tamim Iqbal will have to play sensibly during the World Cup. Because advancing to the knockout stage would largely depend on the performance of Bangladesh's top-order batsmen.

Bangladesh take a 1-0 lead in the BAN vs. NZ 2021 T20I series after defeating New Zealand by 7 wickets in the first match. Bangladesh will have a chance to extend their series lead if they win the second match on Friday (September 3). Bangladesh will be favorites in the next match if they can maintain their present form at home, but New Zealand will attempt to tie the series. Bangladesh's bowlers did an outstanding job in the first match, allowing the host to win easily. This article covers the opening match of the BAN vs. NZ 2021 Twenty20 International series.   BAN vs. NZ 2021: The First T20I Match Report The weather was nice in Dhaka, ideal for a T20 contest. The New Zealand batsmen appeared to be battling with the pitch conditions throughout the game. They are not used to playing on such a spin surface, especially in T20 cricket. Read: BAN vs. NZ 2021: Milestones Bangladesh Cricketers Can Achieve in the T20I Series New Zealand made a poor decision by electing to bat first on an unfamiliar pitch. They kept losing wickets from the start of the innings and were finally bowled out for only 60 runs with 19 balls to spare, their lowest total ever in the T20 format. The Sri Lanka team similarly bowled New Zealand out for 60 runs in the 2014 ICC T20 World Cup in Bangladesh. The match took place at Chattogram. Bangladesh’s Chase  Bangladesh's campaign was optimistic that they would be able to comfortably chase down the target after a stellar fielding effort. The New Zealand spinners, though, took two wickets quickly while defending the low total, making the Bangladesh camp panic. Mohammad Naim tried to find a gap in the cover region, but all he discovered was Henry Nicholls in the short cover. Bangladesh found themselves in a tough position all of a sudden, and they were 7/2 at the time. Later, Bangladesh were able to turn the game around thanks to a 30-run partnership between Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim.  Read Shakib admits pitch even 'tougher' than Australia series The Shakib-Mushfiqur partnership took the total to 37 before newcomer Rachin Ravindra removed Shakib (25) with a length ball in the 10th over. Bangladesh didn't lose any wicket after that, and they comfortably reached the target in the last delivery of the 15th over. Mushfiqur Rahim (16) hit the winning shot in the deep midwicket area with his trademark pull shot. Captain Mahmudullah Riyad was undefeated for 14* runs. New Zealand Innings  Mahmudullah Riyad handed the ball over to off-spinner Mahadi Hasan in search of an early breakthrough. He did not disappoint and Rachin Ravindra was out in the third ball of the innings.  Mahmudullah's strategy of using multiple spinners in the power play to unsettle the batsmen paid off well. He employed Mahadi, Shakib, Nasum, and Mustafizur in the power play and took four important wickets in the first four overs.  Read: BAN vs. NZ: Bangladesh's Three Memorable Victories Against New Zealand Captain Tom Latham (18) and Henry Nicholls (18) tried to rebuild the innings with a 34-run stand for the fifth wicket, but it only lasted until the 11th over. New Zealand would have scored more than 100 runs in their innings if they had stayed at the crease till the end. Bangladesh would have struggled to chase 100 runs on such a pitch. Mohammad Saifuddin broke this partnership, but all credit goes to Nasum Ahmed, who took a superb catch in the deep square leg region. New Zealand were 43/5 at that stage, and they were on the verge of scoring their lowest ever T20I total. That fear came true as they were bowled out for 60 in 16.5 overs. The left-arm pacer, Mustafizur Rahman did what he does best. He took three wickets in the death overs. Bangladesh's Shakib Al Hasan, Nasum Ahmed, and Mohammad Saifuddin each took two wickets. Read BCB announces new central contracts Player of the Match  Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan was named Player of the Match for his excellent bowling and batting performance. Shakib's bowling figure in the match was 4-0-10-2, in addition to his 25 runs. Bottom Line  A turning pitch aided Bangladesh spinners in choking out New Zealand batsmen in the opening of a five-match BAN vs. NZ 2021 series. Mustafizur Rahman was the only pacer in the playing XI for the host, and the strategy worked perfectly. Bangladesh's management is expected to use three spinners as well in the second encounter. However, New Zealand have more spinning choices than Australia, and they might cause Bangladesh batsmen more trouble than Australia did in the previous series. So, a spin-friendly pitch may not ensure Bangladesh's victory in every match in the series. The second encounter is likely to be much more exciting. Read Bangladesh overpower New Zealand on tricky surface

The seventh edition of the Twenty20 World Cup will be held in the UAE and Oman. The 16-team competition will begin on October 17th. The month-long tournament will end on November 14 with the final match. The championship will include 12 Test-playing nations and four ICC associate members. The event will be split into two rounds. Eight teams will compete in the Round 1. The top four teams from Round 1 will advance to the Super 12 round. This round will feature 12 teams separated into two groups. Let's have a look at the favourites for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021? ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021: Super 12 Fixtures The Super 12 round will be held from October 23 till November 8. There will be a total of twelve teams in this round, divided into two groups. In Group 1, Australia, England, South Africa, West Indies, the winner of group A (Round 1) and the runner-up of group B (Round 1) will compete with each other. The teams who will participate in Round 1 are as follows: Group A: Sri Lanka, Namibia, the Netherlands, and Ireland Group B: Bangladesh, Scotland, Papua New Guinea, and Oman Read: ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021: Bangladesh Cricket Team’s Full Schedule Group 1 fixtures Date Matches Venue 23/10/2021 Australia vs. South Africa Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi 23/10/2021 England vs. Windies Dubai International Cricket Stadium 24/10/2021 A1 vs. B2 Sharjah Cricket Stadium 26/10/2021 South Africa vs. Windies Dubai International Cricket Stadium 27/10/2021 England vs. B2 Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi 28/10/2021 Australia vs. A1 Dubai International Cricket Stadium 29/10/2021 Windies vs. B2 Sharjah Cricket Stadium 30/10/2021 South Africa vs. A1 Sharjah Cricket Stadium 30/10/2021 England vs. Australia Dubai International Cricket Stadium 01/11/2021 England vs. A1 Sharjah Cricket Stadium 02/11/2021 South Africa vs. B2 Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi 04/11/2021 Australia vs. B2 Dubai International Cricket Stadium 04/11/2021 Windies vs. A1 Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi 06/11/2021 Australia vs. Windies Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi 06/11/2021 England vs. South Africa Sharjah Cricket Stadium Source: https://www.icc-cricket.com/ Read BAN vs. NZ 2021: Notable T20I Records Between Bangladesh and New Zealand Most of the teams in Group 2 are from Asia. This group will feature India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, New Zealand, the winner of Group B (Round 1), and the runner-up of Group A (Round 1). Each group's top two teams will advance to the semifinals. Group 2 fixtures Date Matches Venue 24/10/2021 India vs. Pakistan Dubai International Cricket Stadium 25/10/2021 Afghanistan vs. B1 Sharjah Cricket Stadium 26/10/2021 Pakistan vs. New Zealand Sharjah Cricket Stadium 27/10/2021 B1 vs. A2 Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi 29/10/2021 Afghanistan vs. Pakistan Dubai International Cricket Stadium 31/10/2021 Afghanistan vs. A2 Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi 31/10/2021 India vs. New Zealand Dubai International Cricket Stadium 02/11/2021 Pakistan vs. A2 Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi 03/11/2021 New Zealand vs. B1 Dubai International Cricket Stadium 03/11/2021 India vs. Afghanistan Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi 05/11/2021 New Zealand vs. A2 Sharjah Cricket Stadium 05/11/2021 India vs. B1 Dubai International Cricket Stadium 07/11/2021 New Zealand vs. Afghanistan Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi 07/11/2021 Pakistan vs. B1 Sharjah Cricket Stadium 08/11/2021 India vs. A2 Dubai International Cricket Stadium Source: https://www.icc-cricket.com/ Read: Shakib Al Hasan Reclaims No.1 Spot in T20I Rankings, Wins ICC's POTM Award for July 2021 Who are the Favourites to WinICC T20 World Cup 2021?  The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 will be staged in Asia. Therefore, Asian teams will have a significant edge during the competition. The Asian players will certainly benefit from the environment, weather conditions, and pitches. In this perspective, the Asian heavyweights, India and Pakistan, will be heavy favorites to win this year's competition. Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Sri Lanka are the other Asian countries whose main goal is to get to the knockout stage (semifinals). It will be a huge accomplishment for them if they can do that. Aside from Asian nations, the West Indies, England, and New Zealand have a decent chance to win the tournament if they play with their full potential. These three teams have a formidable squad that will allow them to dominate their opponents all through competition. Australia and South Africa have a chance, but they are hardly the tournament favorites. Those who can shine in the Super 12 round have good chances of winning this T20 World Cup. Read: Shakib Al Hasan Favourite to Win ICC’s Player of the Month for July Verdict According to the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2021 schedule, at least one Asian team from Group 2 will proceed to the semifinals. Because New Zealand are the group's only other non-Asian strong team. On the other side, in Group 1, the favourites to advance to the semifinals are England and the West Indies. However, all of the equations may change once the tournament begins. Each team strives to give their best in the major event and we might see some major upsets during the tournament. Overall, the Twenty20 World Cup 2021 is expected to be a competitive and interesting event.

The ICC confirmed the complete schedule for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2021 in a media release issued on Tuesday (August 17). The UAE and Oman will host the mega event from October 17 to November 14. The T20 World Cup will include 16 teams, including four ICC associate members. Prior to the main event, there will be around 1 phase. Round 1 is divided into two groups, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the Super 12. Let's have a look at the Bangladesh Cricket team's full itinerary for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2021.

Bangladesh's Shakib Al Hasan was named the ICC Player of the Month for July on Wednesday (August 11). He emerged victorious after edging out Australia's Mitchell Marsh and West Indian young leg-spinner Hayden Walsh. Shakib was the genuine difference-maker in Bangladesh's tour to Zimbabwe in July and he deservedly won the coveted prize. The ace all-rounder has moved to the top of the ICC's T20I all-rounder rankings following a steady performance in recent Bangladesh vs. Australia Twenty20 International series. Shakib has recently been in outstanding form with the ball on the international stage, helping Bangladesh win five straight international series. What Made Shakib the Top Player for the Month of July?  Shakib Al Hasan was the most important player during Bangladesh's trip to Zimbabwe in July. He had a huge impact throughout the tour. Shakib took 5 wickets in the one-off Test match, which helped Bangladesh earn their first-ever Test series victory in Zimbabwe. Shakib Al Hasan took 8 wickets and scored 145 runs (including a match-winning unbeaten 96* in the second ODI) in the three-match ODI series. Bangladesh won the three-match limited-overs series 3-0. Finally, he took three wickets in the T20I series, helping Bangladesh in winning the series 2-1. Read: BAN vs AUS 2021: Shakib Al Hasan On Verge of Achieving Two Milestones Australian all-rounder Mitchell Marsh had a fantastic T20I series against the Windies. He took 8 wickets and scored 219 runs in the five-match series, but his team lost the series 4-1 against the home side.  West Indian leg-spinner Hayden Walsh Jr. had a big impact in both the T20I and ODI series. He was named Player of the Series after taking 12 wickets in the Twenty20 International series.  Hayden Walsh was a strong contender for the award, but Shakib's overall performance during the Zimbabwe tour last month made him the clear favorite to win the ICC's best player award for the month of July.  The Current Scenario of ICC's T20I Rankings Shakib Al Hasan has regained the top spot in the ICC's T20I all-rounder rankings after some strong performances in the recent series against Australia. Shakib scored the second-most runs (114) in the series with a strike rate of 100.88 on slow-turning pitches. He also took 7 wickets with an economy rate of 6.45.  Read: Bangladesh beat Australia in final T20, take the series 4-1 Shakib's best bowling performance of the series came in the last match when he took four wickets for only nine runs. The ace all-rounder was named player of the series and has moved to the top of the ICC T20I all-rounder rankings for his excellent consistency throughout the series. Shakib Al Hasan currently leads the all-rounder rankings with 286 rating points, followed by Afghanistan's Mohammad Nabi (285 points) and Scottish player Richard Berrington (194 points). Also read: Shakib named ICC Player of the Month, No. 1 all-rounder in T20 England's Dawid Malan leads the batting chart with 841 points, followed by Pakistan's skipper Babar Azam (819 points) and New Zealand's Devon Conway (774 points). South African spinner Tabraiz Shamsi leads the bowling rankings with 792 rating points, followed by Sri Lanka's Wanindu De Silva (764 points) and Afghanistan's Rashid Khan (719 points). England are ranked first in the ICC's T20I team rankings with 278 rating points. India are in second place with 273 points, while New Zealand are in third place with 263 points. Bangladesh are presently ranked 10th in the world, with 231 rating points. Bangladesh have a decent chance of moving up to fifth place if they whitewash New Zealand in the upcoming series. If Bangladesh win the series against New Zealand 4-1, they will be in sixth place. However, if Bangladesh win the series 3-2, they will be in seventh place. Read Shakib first cricketer with 1000 runs, 100 wickets in T20I Verdict  Shakib Al Hasan was the favorite prior to the announcement of the ICC Player of the Month award for July. Because Shakib's contribution to Bangladesh during the Zimbabwe series was crucial. On the other side, Mitchell Marsh's steady performance did not assist Australia in winning any series against the Windies. The other contender for the award was West Indian Hayden Walsh Jr., who had a fantastic T20I series against Australia, but Shakib had a better overall record in July than the other two contenders.  Shakib's performance in the Australia series helped him reclaim the top position in the ICC T20I rankings. Hopefully, he will continue to perform well against New Zealand in the upcoming series. Read Big step towards becoming a big team: Shakib