Pant and Pandya shine as India outclass Bangladesh in T20 World Cup 2024 warm-up

India secured a comprehensive 60-run victory over Bangladesh in a T20 World Cup 2024 warm-up match at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York.

Rishabh Pant delivered a match-winning performance, smashing a 32-ball 53. His aggressive innings laid the foundation for India's total of 182/5. Hardik Pandya, looking to bounce back from a lackluster IPL season, contributed a fiery 40 off 23 balls, including three towering sixes in a single over.

The decision to open with Sanju Samson and Rohit Sharma paid off initially, although Sharma fell for 23 to Mahmudullah. Samson managed only a single run before falling to Shoriful Islam. Suryakumar Yadav's rapid 31 off 18 balls added momentum to the innings.

India's bowlers then took center stage, dismantling the Bangladeshi batting lineup and restricting them to 122/9. Arshdeep Singh and Shivam Dube led the attack with two wickets each. Contributions from Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah, Axar Patel, and Hardik Pandya ensured there was no respite for the Bangladeshi batsmen.

Mahmudullah fought valiantly for Bangladesh, scoring 40, while Shakib Al Hasan managed 28 off 34 balls. However, their efforts were insufficient to overcome the disciplined Indian bowling.

India is in Group A alongside Pakistan, Ireland, Canada, and hosts the USA. They kick off their campaign against Ireland on June 5 at the newly-built Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York, followed by a highly anticipated match against Pakistan on June 9 at the same venue. Subsequently, they will face USA and Canada on June 12 and 15, respectively.

India's T20 World Cup 2024 squad:

Rohit Sharma (C), Hardik Pandya (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wk), Sanju Samson (wk), Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Siraj.

Reserves: Shubman Gill, Rinku Singh, Khaleel Ahmed and Avesh Khan