Young Nitish Kumar Reddy’s all-round brilliance propelled India to their largest T20I victory against Bangladesh in the second match held in Delhi, clinching the three-match series with an unbeatable 2-0 lead on Wednesday. The world champions, resting several key players, set a daunting target of 221/9, subsequently restricting Bangladesh to a mere 135/9, resulting in an 86-run win at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.
Despite a strong start from Bangladesh, with opener Parvez Hossain Emon hitting three boundaries in the first over, India’s bowlers quickly regained control. After conceding early runs, Arshdeep Singh dismissed Emon in his next over, marking a turning point. The introduction of spinners, led by Washington Sundar and Varun Chakaravarthy, effectively derailed Bangladesh’s chase. They lost three wickets for just six runs within 14 balls.
Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto and Litton Das struggled to build momentum, while veteran Mahmudullah’s effort of 41 runs off 39 balls proved insufficient as the required run rate escalated. Ultimately, Bangladesh managed only 135/9 in their allotted overs.
India’s bowling unit, particularly the spinners, delivered exceptional performances throughout the innings. Washington Sundar, Varun Chakaravarthy, and Abhishek Sharma took key wickets, while Nitish Rana ensured Bangladesh could not recover by taking two late wickets. Reddy’s contributions with both bat and ball (2/23), combined with impressive fielding, secured the series victory with one match remaining.
Earlier, Nitish Reddy played a sensational innings, complemented by Rinku Singh’s explosive half-century, helping India set a formidable target of 221/9 against Bangladesh. Reddy scored 74 runs off just 34 balls, featuring seven towering sixes and four boundaries, making it the highlight of the Indian innings. The 21-year-old and Rinku Singh (53 off 29) formed a crucial 108-run partnership for the fourth wicket, rescuing India from a shaky start following an early collapse.
Choosing to bat first, India’s top order was put under pressure by Bangladesh’s strong pace attack, led by Tanzim Hasan, Mustafizur Rahman, and Taskin Ahmed. Their effective variations kept the Indian batsmen in check. Sanju Samson began well, scoring 15 runs off the first over from Mehidy Hasan Miraz, but was soon dismissed by Taskin Ahmed.
Abhishek Sharma showed flashes of brilliance with consecutive boundaries until a rapid delivery from Tanzim Hasan bowled him out. Suryakumar Yadav fell shortly after, misreading a slower ball from Mustafizur and giving a straightforward catch to Shanto, leaving India reeling with three wickets down during the powerplay.
However, Reddy, in just his second T20I, steadied the innings with impressive power-hitting, reaching his maiden fifty off 27 balls with an exceptional shot to long-on. His partner, Rinku Singh, added to the scoreboard with a brisk 53, hitting five boundaries and three sixes, including a massive strike off leg-spinner Rishad Hossain.
The duo shifted gears during the middle overs, with Reddy launching an aggressive assault on Hossain, hammering three sixes in the 10th over to push India past the 100-run milestone. His clean hitting thrilled the crowd, sending balls soaring over long-on and mid-wicket effortlessly.
Reddy’s commendable innings came to a close when Mustafizur, utilizing his trademark slower ball, deceived him for a crucial wicket. Nonetheless, Reddy’s performance earned him a well-deserved standing ovation.
