T20
Australia canters to 7-wicket World Cup win over Sri Lanka
A robust stand between openers David Warner and captain Aaron Finch propelled Australia to a seven-wicket win over Sri Lanka in the T20 World Cup on Thursday.
Warner smashed 64 off 42 balls and Finch hit 37 off 23 deliveries as Australia romped to 155-3 in 17 overs for its second successive win in Group 1. Australia, which defeated South Africa in the first game, joined England at the top of the group.
For Sri Lanka it was a first defeat in five games after it qualified for the Super 12s on the back of three successive wins in the qualifiers and also beat Bangladesh in its opening Group 1 game.
Read: ICC T20 Ranking: Bangladesh steps down two notches to settle for 8th place
Both Australian openers hammered boundaries at will against spinners and fast bowlers in an explosive start of 70 off 41 balls, with Lahiru Kumara getting smashed for three boundaries and a six in one over.
Legspinner Adam Zampa (2-14) and Mitchel Starc (2-34) earlier pulled back Sri Lanka in the middle overs before restricting them to 154-6 after Finch won the toss and opted to field first.
Read: ICC T20 World Cup 2021: Group Stage Scenario of Super 12 Round
Kusal Perera and Charith Asalanka both scored 35 runs each but fell in successive overs as Australia came back strongly through the spin of Zampa. Starc clean bowled lefthanded Perera off a sharp yorker and Asalanka was caught in the deep off a flat sweep against Zampa.
T20 World Cup: Wounded Tigers desperate to win against West Indies
After losing two consecutive matches in the Super 12s of the ongoing T20 World Cup, Bangladesh are all set to take on the West Indies on Friday, determined to accept nothing short of a victory.
In the first match, Bangladesh lost to the South Asian opponent Sri Lanka. Following that shocking defeat, they suffered another defeat to England— which was the maiden clash between the two teams in T20Is. Now the Tigers are set to take on the current T20 world champions.
The match will begin at 4pm (Bangladesh time).
In both the matches, Bangladesh struggled due to their fragile batting line-up. Ahead of another match in the Super 12s, Tigers are in dire need to register a win to stay alive in the T20 World Cup.
In the last match against England, Bangladesh performed poorly in every department of the game. They batted first after winning the toss and posted only 124 runs. England chased that easy target with eight wickets in hand, and 35 balls to play.
Read: ICC T20 Ranking: Bangladesh steps down two notches to settle for 8th place
ICC T20 World Cup 2021: Group Stage Scenario of Super 12 Round
The Super 12 Round of the seventh edition of the Twenty20 World Cup started on October 23. The remaining matches of the tournament will be held in the UAE. Twelve teams are battling for a spot in the semifinals. There appears to be a lot of competition in group 1. On the contrary, Pakistan's position in the semifinals is all but assured from group 2. Let’s find out which teams from each group have a stronger chance of making the semi-finals of ICC T20 World Cup 2021.
The favorites in each group to advance to the semifinals
Group 1
The group 1 teams are Bangladesh, Australia, England, West Indies, South Africa, and Sri Lanka. Let’s take a look at the positions of each team in group 1.
Group 1 Standings (as of October 27)
Teams
Match
Win
Lose
Points
NRR
England
2
2
0
4
3.614
Sri Lanka
1
1
0
2
0.583
Australia
1
1
0
2
0.253
South Africa
2
1
1
2
0.179
Bangladesh
2
0
2
0
-1.655
West Indies
2
0
2
0
-2.550
Source: https://www.espncricinfo.com/
Read ICC T20 World Cup 2021: High-Voltage Match between India and Pakistan
England
One of the favorites, England are currently in the first position in Group 1 with two wins in two games. They have three more matches to play in the Super 12 round. If England win at least one of their remaining matches, they will qualify for the semifinals.
Verdict: 1st place
Remaining Fixtures: Australia (October 30); Sri Lanka (November 1); South Africa (November 6)
Read T20 World Cup 2021: Afghanistan Win Big against Scotland as Mujeeb takes fifer
Sri Lanka
The Sri Lankan team is full of confidence after four consecutive victories in the tournament. However, they must win two or more of their remaining games to qualify for the semifinals, which will be very tough for them.
Verdict: Third place
Remaining Fixtures: Australia (October 28); South Africa (October 30); England (November 1), West Indies (November 4)
Read BAN vs. ENG: Bangladesh's Three Spectacular Victories Over England
Australia
Australia got off to a strong start by defeating South Africa. This Australian team isn't the best in the world, but they have enough talent to progress to the semifinals.
Verdict: second place
Remaining Fixtures: Sri Lanka (October 28); England (October 30); Bangladesh (November 4), West Indies (November 6)
South Africa
After losing the first match against Australia, the proteas national team made a fantastic comeback in their second game against West Indies. However, finishing in the top two in the points standings will be extremely difficult for South Africa.
Verdict: fourth place
Remaining Fixtures: Sri Lanka (October 30); Bangladesh (November 2); England (November 6)
Read ICC T20 World Cup 2021: Major Takeaways from Bangladesh's Loss to Scotland
Bangladesh
After losing two straight matches in the super 12 round, Bangladesh's biggest achievement in this round will be to win a match. Therefore, the most important aim will be to defeat the West Indian team.
Verdict: Sixth place
Remaining Fixtures: West Indies (October 29); South Africa (November 2); Australia (November 4)
West Indies
The two-time World Cup winner West Indies are struggling to find their rhythm as a team in this tournament. They have lost their first two games against England and South Africa, respectively. The Windies have a slim chance of making it to the last four.
Verdict: Fifth place
Remaining Fixtures: Bangladesh (October 29); Sri Lanka (November 4); Australia (November 6)
Read ICC T20 World Cup 2021: Shakib Al Hasan Reaches Three Unique Milestones
Group 2
The group 2 teams are India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, New Zealand, Namibia, and Scotland. Let’s take a look at the positions of each team in group 2.
Group 2 Standings (as of October 27)
Teams
Match
Win
Lose
Points
NRR
Pakistan
2
2
0
4
0.738
Afghanistan
1
1
0
2
6.500
Namibia
1
1
0
2
0.550
New Zealand
1
0
1
0
-0.532
India
1
0
1
0
-0.973
Scotland
2
0
2
0
-3.562
Source: https://www.espncricinfo.com/
Pakistan
Pakistan shocked everyone after a thrashing of India in their T20 World Cup opener on October 24. They also snatched a stunning win over New Zealand, putting them in a strong position to advance to the semifinals. Pakistan need a win to secure a place in the semifinals, and their upcoming fixtures will be against weaker opponents.
Verdict: 1st place
Remaining Fixtures: Afghanistan (October 29); Namibia (November 2); Scotland (November 7)
Read T20 World Cup 2021: Five Bangladesh players to watch out for in the tournament
Afghanistan
Afghanistan's ICC T20 World Cup 2021 campaign began with a resounding 130-run victory over Scotland. This Afghan team has some excellent players and can upset any team in the world on their day. However, with India and New Zealand having superior squads than them, securing a spot in the semifinals will be really hard.
Verdict: Fourth Place
Remaining Fixtures: Pakistan (October 29); Namibia (October 31); India (November 3), New Zealand (November 7)
Namibia
Namibia defeated Scotland in their Super 12 round opener. Their biggest success in this round will be finishing ahead of Scotland in the points standings.
Verdict: Fifth place
Remaining Fixtures: Afghanistan (October 31); Pakistan (November 2); New Zealand (November 5), India (November 8)
Read Toppers List at the end of the IPL 2021
New Zealand
New Zealand must defeat India in order to advance to the semifinals after losing their Super 12 opener against Pakistan. Therefore, the match between India and New Zealand could be the most appealing.
Verdict: Third place
Remaining Fixtures: India (October 31); Scotland (November 3); Namibia (November 5); Afghanistan (November 7)
India
India are under pressure after losing their first match against arch-rival Pakistan. However, India have a very strong squad, and they will undoubtedly come back in their next match against New Zealand. India are still hot favorites to advance to the semifinals from this group.
Verdict: Second place
Remaining Fixtures: New Zealand (October 31); Afghanistan (November 3); Scotland (November 5); Namibia (November 8)
Read T20 World Cup 2021: SWOT Analysis of Bangladesh Team
Scotland
The Scottish team played well in the qualifying round. They won all of their fixtures to finish first in group B in the qualifiers. Scotland had high hopes of beating Namibia and Afghanistan in the Super 12 round. However, they lost both matches and are likely to finish bottom in Group 2 points table.
Verdict: Sixth place
Remaining Fixtures: New Zealand (November 3); India (November 5); Pakistan (November 7)
Verdict
After breaking down each team's current standings, it is evident that England and Australia have a higher chance of progressing to the semifinals from Group 1. Sri Lanka and South Africa will fight tooth and nail for a spot in the knockout round. On the other hand, Pakistan are in a commanding position of Group 2 and will most likely finish first in the standings. India, New Zealand, and Afghanistan all have a fair chance to proceed to the last four from this group. Hopefully, the deserving teams will advance to the semifinals of ICC T20 World Cup 2021.
Read ICC T20 World Cup 2021: Potential milestones to achieve by Bangladeshi players
Trumpelmann leads Namibia over Scotland at T20 World Cup
Fast bowler Ruben Trumpelmann rattled Scotland with three wickets off his first four balls as Namibia won by four wickets in the T20 World Cup on Wednesday.
Namibia looked by far the better of the two ICC associate member nations that qualified for the main draw with Scotland restricted at 109-8.
Namibia stuttered in the middle overs against spinners before JJ Smit (32 not out) carried it to 115-6 in 19.1 overs with a six over point boundary. It was Scotland’s second successive loss in Group 1 after three wins in the qualifiers.
"Delighted to get another World Cup win,” said Namibia skipper Gerhard Erasmus. “Ruben sets high standards for himself. He hadn’t quite hit the straps earlier, but today he did and he started off well for us to throw the first punch.”
In the absence of injured skipper Kyle Coetzer, Scotland slipped to 3-2 in leftarm paceman Trumpelmann’s (3-17) first over with both the runs coming through wide balls.
George Munsey dragged the first ball back onto his stumps. Calum MacLeod was beaten by the bounce and edged behind the wicketkeeper, and stand-in captain Richie Berrington was out leg before wicket off a delivery which swung into the right-hander.
“Disappointing day for us, we were about 20-30 runs short and pretty hard to recover after the first couple of overs,” Berrington said. “Credit to Namibia for bowling so well early on. We’ve got a few days to reflect and recover. One of our strengths is to stick together.”
The other Namibia fast bowlers — Jan Frylinck (2-10), Smit (1-20) and David Wiese (1-22) — challenged the middle order with their variations as Scotland lost wickets with regular intervals. Michael Leask (44) and Chris Greaves (25) fought back in the middle overs to carry Scotland above the three-figure mark in the end.
Namibia was cruising to 50-1 by the end of ninth over before Scotland spinners made them struggle with some impressive bowling. Greaves and Mark Watt bowled steady spells of four overs each to finish with identical figures of 1-22.
And offspinner Leask went through the defenses of Erasmus before getting the all important wicket of Wiese (16) when Namibia needed only eight for victory.
Scotland came into the Super 12s off the back of three straight victories in the qualifiers but since then its batsmen have put up two disappointing scores. Afghanistan bowled out Scotland for just 60 in a massive 130-run victory in the first match.
Asif powers Pakistan to semis doorstep after Rauf’s 4-for
Pakistan registered their second win in as many games in the Super 12s of the ongoing T20 World Cup on Tuesday beating New Zealand by five wickets, thanks to some lusty late blows from the blade of Asif Ali.
Having beaten India by a big margin of 10 wickets— their first win by this margin in the format, as well as India’s first defeat by the same margin – in their opening match, it means the men in green are now ideally placed to make it through to the semifinals as one of the top two teams in their group.
Their remaining encounters are against the relatively easier opponents in their group – Afghanistan, and associate members Scotland and Namibia.
In Tuesday’s match, New Zealand batted first after losing the toss. They could only manage a below-par total of 134 for eight wickets in 20 overs.
Read: T20 World Cup: West Indies concede 2nd consecutive defeat in Super 12s
Daryl Mitchell and Devon Conway were jointly the highest scorers for New Zealand, posting 27 each. Three of the other New Zealand batters have reached a two-digit score each but failed to continue on a good run.
T20 World Cup: West Indies concede 2nd consecutive defeat in Super 12s
Reigning champions West Indies conceded their second consecutive defeat in the competition after South Africa thrashed them by eight wickets in the Super 12s stage of the T20 World Cup on Tuesday.
For South Africa it was their first win in the competition after they lost their opening game against Australia.
The West Indies, sent in by South Africa to bat first, posted only 143 for eight wickets in 20 overs.
Read: ICC T20 World Cup 2021: Bangladesh, England face off on October 27
Evin Lewis posted 56 off 35 balls with three fours and six sixes while his opening partner Lendl Simmons played 35 balls to score 16 runs. His slow batting caused unease for the fans.
For South Africa, Dwaine Pretorius bagged three wickets while Keshav Maharaj took two.
Read: T20 World Cup 2021: Afghanistan Win Big against Scotland as Mujeeb takes fifer
In reply, South Africa chased the target of 144 in 18.2 overs with eight wickets in hand. Aiden Markram and Rassie van der Dussen remained unbeaten scoring 51 and 43 respectively.
In the first match, West Indies lost to England by six wickets, and South Africa suffered a defeat to Australia by five wickets.
ICC T20 World Cup 2021: Bangladesh, England face off on October 27
Bangladesh's Super 12 round began with a disheartening loss to Sri Lanka on Sunday (October 24). Therefore, the team Tigers are under tremendous pressure to regain their winning momentum in order to qualify for the semifinals. Bangladesh's next encounter is on Wednesday (October 27) against England. The match will take place at the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi and will begin at 4 p.m. (Bangladesh Standard Time). This article focuses on the match preview between Bangladesh and England in the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup tournament.
Read T20 World Cup 2021: Afghanistan Win Big against Scotland as Mujeeb takes fifer
Notable T20I Record of Bangladesh and England
Here are some noteworthy Twenty20 International records of Bangladesh and England.
Bangladesh
England
Matches Played
M: 116; Win: 43; Lose: 71
M: 138; Win: 74; Lose: 59
Most Runs
Shakib Al Hasan (1,881)
Eoin Morgan (2,367)
Highest Score
Tamim Iqbal (103*)
Alex Hales (116*)
Most Fifties
Shakib Al Hasan (9)
Jos Buttler (14)
Most Wickets
Shakib Al Hasan (117)
Chris Jordan (74)
Best Bowling Figures
Elias Sunny (5/13)
Adil Rashid (4/2)
Most Matches
Mahmudullah Riyad (106)
Eoin Morgan (108)
Highest Partnership
Tamim Iqbal and Mahmudullah Riyad (132*)
Dawid Malan and Eoin Morgan (182)
Most Catches
Mahmudullah Riyad (41)
Eoin Morgan (44)
Most Dismissals
Mushfiqur Rahim (61)
Jos Buttler (43)
Source: https://www.espncricinfo.com/
Bangladesh Team
Mushfiqur Rahim finally found his stride against Sri Lanka, which is a huge relief. Mushfiqur failed to contribute with the bat in the qualifying phase. Bangladesh struggled to keep the scoreboard moving in the middle overs as a result of this.
Read Afghanistan beat Scotland by 130 runs in T20 World Cup
Opener Liton Das and all-rounder Mohammad Saifuddin were two major disappointments in the previous encounter. Liton scrambled with the bat once again and dropped two crucial catches. On the contrary, Mohammad Saifuddin gave up nearly 13 runs per over. As a top bowler, Saifuddin could have done a lot better with the ball.
Team management has a difficult job on their hands in terms of picking an ideal playing XI for the encounter against England. Not to mention, the experienced players and left-arm bowler Mustafizur Rahman would have to shoulder the major responsibilities if Bangladesh aims to win the match.
Read Mujeeb rattles Scotland with three-wicket over
Three players to keep an eye on
Mushfiqur Rahim: T20I: 95 | Runs: 1,427 | HS: 72* | 50s: 6 | SR: 116.20
Shakib Al Hasan: T20I: 92 | Runs: 1,881 | HS: 84 | SR: 121.12 | Wkts: 117 | BBI: 5/20 | SR: 17.40
Mustafizur Rahman: T20I: 56 | Wkts: 82 | BBI: 5/22 | Econ: 7.54 | SR: 14.90
Predicted Playing XI:
Mohammad Naim, Soumya Sarkar, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah (captain), Afif Hossain, Nurul Hasan (wicket-keeper), Mahedi Hasan, Mustafizur Rahman, Taskin Ahmed, Nasum Ahmed.
Read Afghanistan wins toss, elects to bat against Scotland
England Team
England thrashed West Indies in their World Cup opener. Therefore, the team spirit of the English campaign is extremely high. Each player is aware of his role in the squad besides realizing what the captain and coach expect of them. There are no injuries on the team, and all of the players are available for selection. England are unlikely to make any changes to their playing XI for the encounter against Bangladesh.
Three players to keep an eye on
Jos Buttler: T20I: 83 | Runs: 1,895 | HS: 83* | 50s: 14 | SR: 139.33
Moeen Ali: T20I: 39 | Runs: 440 | HS: 72* | SR: 135.38 | Wkts: 23 | BBI: 2/17 | SR: 22.2
Adil Rashid: T20I: 63 | Wkts: 69 | BBI: 4/2 | Econ: 7.41 | SR: 18.50
Read Youth ODI Series: Hosts Sri Lanka whitewash Bangladesh 5-0
Predicted Playing XI:
Jason Roy, Jos Buttler (Wicket-Keeper), Jonny Bairstow, Moeen Ali, Liam Livingstone, Eoin Morgan (c), Dawid Malan, Chris Woakes, Chris Jordan, Adil Rashid, Tymal Mills
Verdict
Bangladesh are now in the second position in Group B, while England are in first place with two points. England are one of the favorites to win the seventh edition of the Twenty20 World Cup. The English team exhibited their ability during the encounter against the West Indies. They have a well-balanced squad with a notable number of game-winners. Bangladesh will face a difficult task in defeating England, but they must find a way to do it in order to earn a place in the semifinals.
Another important factor is that Bangladesh have never faced England in a T20 match. So, it will be exciting to see who wins the first match between these two teams.
Read ICC T20 World Cup 2021: Shakib Al Hasan on his way to reach another milestone
ICC T20 World Cup 2021: Shakib Al Hasan on his way to reach another milestone
The Bangladesh cricket team lost a vital Super 12 match against Sri Lanka On Sunday (October 24). The star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan was brilliant with the ball once again. He became the highest wicket-taker in T20 World Cup history after taking two wickets in three overs against the Lankan side. Earlier in the tournament, the ace all-rounder set a new record for most T20I wickets. Shakib has been in fantastic form with the ball and has a chance to attain yet another milestone before Bangladesh's ICC T20 World Cup 2021 fixtures are completed.
Shakib's potential feat in the remaining ICC T20 World Cup 2021
Shakib Al Hasan has set several records in his nearly two-decade cricket career. His unwavering commitment and desire to be the best have gained him widespread acclaim. Shakib's on-field performance has also aided Bangladesh in progressing to the next level.
Shakib Al Hasan smashed two international records by taking 11 wickets in just four matches in the ongoing Twenty20 World Cup 2021. He also became the first player to achieve 12,000 international runs and take 600 or more international wickets.
Read T20 World Cup: Lahiru, Liton fined for breaching ICC code of conduct
Bangladesh have four matches left in the present T20 World Cup. Shakib may achieve yet another new milestone in the forthcoming BAN vs. ENG encounter. If not, he will very certainly do that in the World Cup's remaining matches.
The world's best all-rounder is two wickets away from being the fourth player in history and the first Bangladeshi to take 400 wickets in Twenty20 format.
Shakib Al Hasan has 398 Twenty20 wickets at an incredible average of 21.07 from 349 appearances. West Indian all-rounder DJ Bravo has the most T20 wickets. He has collected 551 wickets in 508 games.
Read T20 World Cup : Three Things Bangladesh Must Address Before England Match
Top Five Wicket-Takers in the T20 Format
Two West Indian players have claimed 400+ wickets in the T20 format. Only DJ Bravo has taken more than 500 wickets among them. Imran Tahir of South Africa, Shakib Al Hasan of Bangladesh, and Rashid Khan of Afghanistan are the other three wicket-takers in the top five.
Highest wicket-takers in Twenty20
Player
Matches
Wkts
BBI
Ave
Econ
5W
DJ Bravo (WI)
508
551
5/23
24.25
8.20
2
Sunil Narine (WI)
383
425
5/19
20.72
6.04
1
Imran Tahir (SA)
334
420
5/23
19.79
6.96
3
Shakib Al Hasan (BAN)
349
398
6/6
21.07
6.82
4
Rashid Khan (AFG)
284
392
5/3
17.62
6.35
3
Source: https://www.espncricinfo.com/
Read: T20 World Cup: Pakistan off to a solid start chasing India’s 151
Bottom Line
Shakib Al Hasan will have to show his full potential in the upcoming matches if Bangladesh are to advance to the semifinals of the ICC T20 World Cup 2021. Bangladesh's next encounter will be against one of the early favorites England. If Shakib fires up, the Tigers have a good chance to stun the English team. Furthermore, the left-arm spinner will be able to reach another personal milestone in this match.
Shakib Al Hasan is the poster boy of Bangladesh cricket. If Shakib can keep consistent in this manner over the next 3 to 4 years, he would be able to reach unprecedented heights. Therefore, breaking his records will be tough for other cricketers.
Read Pakistan beat India by 10 wkts, for maiden WC win against archrivals
Pakistan beat India by 10 wkts, for maiden WC win against archrivals
Finally, Pakistan have won a match against India in a World Cup!
India and Pakistan, the arch-rivals, took the field on Sunday aiming to crush each other in the cricket field once again. Every time Pakistan aimed the same before in a World Cup, they had to endure a defeat. But this time, they finally bounced back to turn history their way— beating India by a big margin of 10 wickets on Sunday at Dubai.
It was the first match in the Super 12s stage of the ongoing T20 World Cup for both teams.
T20 World Cup: Pakistan off to a solid start chasing India’s 151
Pakistan are off to a solid start while chasing a challenging target of 152 against India in their first match of the Super 12s stage of the ongoing T20 World Cup in Dubai.
Pakistan won the toss and opted to bowl first in this match. India posted 151 for seven in 20 overs, with the captain Virat Kohli hitting the highest 57 off 49 balls with five fours and one six.
Read: Shakib emerges highest wicket-taker in T20 World Cup
Pakistan got a great start when Shaheen Afridi removed Rohit Sharma for a duck. The pacer ended up taking three wickets conceding 31 in four overs. The other pacer, Hasan Ali, conceded 44 runs to take two wickets.
In reply, Pakistan scored 71 for none at the end of the 10th overs, with captain Babar Azam, and Mohammad Rizwan were batting at 36 and 35 respectively.
Read: T20 WC: Naim hits his second World Cup fifty