IND vs BAN Highlights, 1st T20I: Hardik Pandya (39* off 16) motors IND to seven-wicket win

Suryakumar Yadav: We just tried to back our skills and what we decided in our team meetings, it worked out. The way the guys showed character playing on a new ground and the way we batted, it was great. It's a good headache to have when you are on the field on whom to bowl. Every time you have an extra option, it's a good thing. You learn something new every new game. There are always a few areas to improve on, we will sit down and talk about it in the next game.

Najmul Hossain Shanto: Yes, I think we didn't start well. In T20, first six overs is important but we didn't do well. The plan was to play positive cricket but we had to manage some overs how we want to approach. Looks like we didn't have much plan but we need to do proper plan in the next match. We need to focus on rotating the strike, T20 is not only about hitting. If we keep wickets in hand, we can get a good score. We didn't score many runs. Rishad bowled well and Fizz was also good but we didn't have enough runs.

Taskin Ahmed to bowl the 12th over and Hardik Pandya ensures it's the last one India bat tonight. Two fours followed by a six and India close the game by seven wickets to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

First, a short ball, quickly directed over the keeper's head with absolute nonchalance for four runs. Then, a full toss on the off stump, met with a heave. The ball goes down backward point for four, despite the bat flying on the leg side. And at last, a pull shot over cow corner for six. Those last few runs have been indicative of India's performance all through this T20I - comprehensive.

An exhibition of hitting in Gwalior today and this shot from Hardik Pandya might be a strong contender to take the cake.

Rishad Hossain with a length ball, little to no pace on it. Pandya arches back in his crease and has a whack at it. Remember, it's pitched outside off, and the hit is over extra cover. Goes all the way over the advertising boards beyond the boundary for SIX! What power on show from the Indian all-rounder. After 11 overs, India are 116/3. 

Mustafizur back into the attack. Goes for a length ball and Hardik Pandya, tracking back in his crease, upper cuts it for four runs down backward point. 100 comes up for India, off 57 deliveries. They've made short work of the Bangladesh bowlers. 

Fizz goes full and on the off stump to close the over, Pandya goes inside out over extra cover for four more. 107/3 after 10 overs.

Three wickets have fallen in the first nine overs but Bangladesh have hardly ever looked in contention to defend this total. 

The boundaries have kept on coming and Nitish Kumar Reddy gets the latest. Rishad Hossain dishes in a delivery in the slot and Nitish clears his front leg to clear the long-on boundary. After nine overs, India are 94/3.

Mehidy Hasan Miraz gets rid of Sanju Samson!

Samson goes for a hoick off a delivery that's drifting into the right hander but ends up finding the fielder at mid wicket. Third wicket falls for India.

Hardik Pandya is the new batter in, and off the very first delivery he faces, the all-rounder clears his front leg to find a boundary down fine leg. After eight overs, India are 84/3.

Rishad Hossain, one of Bangladesh's sensations at this year's T20 World Cup, into the attack. It's a decent first over from the off-break bowler. Concedes just the two runs off his first five bowls. Sanju Samson though, makes good use of the crease to manoeuvre a cut shot. Gets four runs for it. 77/2 after seven overs.

And the SKY is grounded!

An entertaining cameo comes to an end. He'd already dispatched Mustafizur Rahman for a six in the over but went for a swipe off the very next delivery and is caught at long leg. India lose their second wicket.

Nitish Kumar Reddy, the debutant, joins Sanju Samson in the middle. Samson finds another boundary in front of square on the off side. India end the powerplay at 71/2.

Just as the broadcasters display Surya's incredible boundary count (in T20Is) in the deep square leg-fine leg region - 85 so far - the Indian skipper targets the same region to loot 14 runs off the last three balls. 

First, a whip stroke after kneeling down on one knee. Then, Taskin goes fuller and Surya picks it with a neat flick shot for the same result. And at last, a delivery pitched outside off, perfectly preampted shot from Surya for six over fine leg. Fifty up for India. 58/1 after five overs. They are in a hurry to close this one.

Surya takes to the skies. The Fizz with a full delivery, and Surya makes use of his incredible range to dispatch this one over the square leg boundary for SIX!

Then, later in the over, Sanju Samson displays a textbook execution of front-foot cover drive to earn four more runs. After four overs, India are 44/1.

Shoriful Islam in the attack again and Suryakumar Yadav takes a single off the second delivery. Sanju with another single of his own as SKY comes back on strike. After another single, Sanju chips the next ball over extra cover for a beautiful boundary!! IND 32/1 after 3 overs

Taskin Ahmed in the attack now and has been greeted by Abhishek with a hge six, straight down the ground. Lashes at the second ball hard and gets another four!! Fearless approach from the SRH opener!! 20 from just 4 balls by India. Swings the bat at the 4th ball and that's another steaky shot to get a four!! India won't mind this at all!! Places the next ball and takes a single. Sanju to face the last delivery of the over and oh dear, dear, dear!!! Abhishek has been run out!!! Went for a non-existent run and Hridoy's dirrect hit ends his stay.

Abhishek Sharma run out (Towhid Hridoy) 16(7)

Welcxome back to the run chase and here's Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma walking down the middle. Sanju to take strike and he is straight off the mark with a single off Shoriful Islam's 1st delivery. Low bounce catches the inside-edge of Abhishek and he takes a single of his own. Samson back on strike and plays a beautiful straight drive for a four!! And almost caught out next but gets a 4 to end the over!! IND 10/0 after 1 over

Last over of the match now and Arshdeep will bowl this one. Mehidy Hasan Miraz on strike and the first couple of balls yields 5 runs, courtesy of a 4 off leg byes. Miraz slices the ball to deep backward point and makes sure he gets back on strike with 2 runs. Pulls at the next ball, gets it wrong but falls safely as Miraz takes a single. AND BOWLED EM!!! Mustafizur is cleaned up. BAN end at 127 runs!!

Mayank Yadav in to bowl the penultimate over of the innings and yields just 2 from the first couple of deliveries. And 2 singles from the next 2 deliveries as Mayank turns up the pressure. A change of bat for Mustafizur now and he almost plays it on to his stumps. BAN 120/9 after 19 overs

And would you know it!! That's another wicket gone in the same over as Hardik gets his first of the match. Shoriful Islam goes for an almighty swing exposing all three stumps and gets them rattled!!

Shoriful Islam b Hardik Pandya 0(2)

Hardik Pandya in the attack now and oh dear!! What a horrible mix-up in the middle by the BAN batters. Taskin is run out as Mehidy Hasan Miraz left him high and dry. He won't be happy about that!!

Taskin Ahmed run out (Arshdeep Singh/Hardik Pandya) 12(13)

Arshdeep Singh in the attack now and he straightaway raps Taskin's pad and goes for an appeal. A little half-hearted though as Singh knew that it had gotten a little edge off the bat. Just 2 runs from the next couple of deliveries as Arshdeep piles the pressure on Bangladesh. 3 from this over. BAN 114/7 after 17 overs 

Hardik Pandya brought back into the attack now and Miraz gets a thick edge which runs away for a four to the third man boundary. These are the chances Bangladesh will need to take now to stay in the fight. 9 runs from this over. BAN 111/7 after 16 overs

Washington Sundar in to bowl the 15th over and yields just 3 runs from the first 4 deliveries as Bangladesh strugglke top reach even 100. Taskin Ahmed finally smashes the last delivery for 4 to help BAN cross the 100-run mark. BAN 102/7 after 15 overs

Varun Chakravarthy in the attack again and he has struck!! Everything going right for the skipper Surya and Varun. Rishad Hossain tries to pull this one away and it's fallen staright down Hardik's throat!!

Rishad Hossain c Hardik Pandya b Varun Chakravarthy 11(5)

Mayank Yadav back in the attack and Mehidy Hasan Miraz opens his arms and gets a boundary!! Finally, someone taking on the express pacer head on. The next ball is a full toss and Miraz flicks it for a single. Rishad Hossain on strike now and he takes advantage of the pace and extra bounce and deposits the delivery over third man for a 6!!! Follows that up with a straight four as Hardik has no chance of reaching that on this outfield. 15 from this over. BAN 90/6 after 13 overs

Washington Sundar introduced now and Miraz tucks the first ball away for a single before Shanto returns the favour with a single of his own. And there goes another one as Shanto is dismissed softy. Just pokes at the delivery and he followthrough is straight into the hands of the bowler!!

Shanto c and b Washington Sundar 27(25)

Nitish continues and Mehidy Hasan Miraz off the mark in this over with a single while Shanto returns the favour with a single of his own. Quiet little over as the BAN players are content in taking just singles. Just 6 from this one. BAN 70/5 after 11 overs

On to the 10th over now and Varun Chakravarthy has come into the atatck gaian. And would you know it, he has struck!!! Jaker Ali tried to block but it goes right through him and cleans up the stumps!! 

Jaker Ali b Varun Chakravarthy 8(6) 

Nitish Reddy will be bowling the next over and the debutant yields 3 from the first couple of deliveries. Just a barrage of singles next before Jaker Ali smashes the last ball for a six over mid-wicket!! Much needed for Bangladesh. BAN 56/4 after 9 overs.

Mayank will continue and finally yields the first run of his India career as Shanto takes a single to start. AAAND HE TAKES HIS MAIDEN WICKET AS WELL. Mahmudullah tries for a big hit but it only reaches Washington Sundar situated perfectly near the deep point boundary!!

Mahmudullah c Washington Sundar b Mayank Yadav 1(2)

Varun continues and starts with a single from the first couple of deliveries. Hridoy gets impatient and tries to smash the spinner over the long on boundary but it's straight into the grateful hands of Hardik Pandya.

Towhid Hridoy c Hardik Pandya b Varun Chakravarthy 12(18)

Last over of the the powerplay and Mayank Yadav has beebn introduced. Keep an eye on the speed gun as this guy is famous for raining fire!! 3 dots to start the over with the third ball beating Hridoy clean!! The dots keep on piling up as Mayank refuses to yield any ground. Unreal accuracy from the bowler. And a maiden to start his career as the crowd roars its approval!!  BAN 39/2 after 5 overs

Varun Chakravarthy introduced in the attack now for the first time since 2021. Aaannnd is that a wicket? Oh no!! After Hridoy flicks towards the boundary, Nitish Kumar Reddy completely misjudges the ball and that has gone under him and into the boundary!! Hridoy makes it even worse after smashing the next ball for another 4 as he rubs salt into an already open wound. The over ends with a 6 as Shanto reverse sweeps the last ball over the ropes. Not a good return for Varun. BAN 39/2 after 5 overs

Hardik continues and Shanto smashes the first ball for a four. Was very close to the midwicket fielder that one but fortune favoured the brave and Shanto gets his first boundary. Three singles off the next three deliveries as Hardik pushes back. 8 from this over ultimately. BAN 24/2 after 4 overs

Arshdeep Singh continues and he has snapped up his second wicket!!! Emon tries to go hard at it, too hard reckons the commentator as he plays the delivery on to his stumps!! Bangladesh rocked early.

Parvez Hossain Emon b Arshdeep Singh 8(9)

Hardik Pandya with the second over and he'll be bowling to the Bangla captain Shanto who shuffles for a single. Emon on strike and he flicks away to the leg side to fetch the first 6 of the match!!! Do not bowl to him there!! Pandya replies to that six with a bouncer which goes straight to the keeper. The next delivery cuts the batter in half as Hardik makes a good comeback after the six. BAN 14/1 after 2 overs

Here come the Bangladesh openers donning their new orange garbs and they'll be facing off against Arshdeep Singh. Starts with two dots  and then a single as Emon finally gets a single due to Hardik's fumble. And Das strokes the next ball towards the short third man boundary and gets the first four. ANNNDDD HE'S GONE!! Went to the well again and pulls off a ugly hoick which goes high and Rinku Singh with a comfortable catch.

Litton Das c Rinku Singh b Arshdeep Singh 4(2) 

Nitish Kumar Reddy, a 21-year-old seam-bowling all-rounder, was honored with the Emerging Player of the Season award at the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. Reddy's outstanding performances played a crucial role in Sunrisers Hyderabad's impressive run to the final.

In 13 matches throughout the tournament, Reddy contributed significantly with both bat and ball. He scored 303 runs and also claimed three wickets, showcasing his versatility and talent. This recognition solidifies Reddy's position as one of the rising stars of Indian cricket.

Here are both sets of player and the national anthems reverberate around the new stadium for the first time ever. We hope for a cracking encounter tonight.

The Indian pace attack for this series has a West Delhi flavour in it with Mayank Yadav and Harshit Rana both in  the squad. Mayank, a pacer from Motinagar, West Delhi, has been rapidly promoted to the senior team after recovering from an injury. Harshit, a resident of nearby Village Ghevra, was part of the Indian team that won the T20I series in Zimbabwe earlier this year.

Mayank makes his debut tonight but Harshit couldn't make it to the starting XI and has to bide his time.

Debutant Mayank Yadav is the first to step out from the Indian camp. The 22-year-old is soaking up the pressure. He just checked his run-up mark again. He is donning No 44 and now is waiting near the dug out for his teammates. There's nerve for sure, reports Pratyush Raj from the ground

Gwalior holds a unique distinction in Indian cricket history. It is the only venue in the country where the host team has played matches on consecutive days. In 1993, India hosted England in two One-Day Internationals on March 4th and 5th. Additionally, Captain Roop Singh Stadium in Gwalior witnessed a historic moment in 2010 when Sachin Tendulkar became the first batsman to score a double century in an ODI match. This achievement solidified Gwalior's place in cricket annals.

India has a strong record at Captain Roop Singh Stadium, winning eight out of twelve One-Day Internationals (ODIs) played there over the past 22 years. The venue has also hosted a memorable match in the 1996 Cricket World Cup, featuring India and the West Indies. India's success at Captain Roop Singh Stadium highlights its dominance in ODI cricket and the venue's suitability for hosting high-level matches.

Litton Das(w), Najmul Hossain Shanto(c), Parvez Hossain Emon, Towhid Hridoy, Mahmudullah, Jaker Ali, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Rishad Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Shoriful Islam

Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson(w), Suryakumar Yadav(c), Nitish Reddy, Hardik Pandya, Riyan Parag, Rinku Singh, Washington Sundar, Varun Chakravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Mayank Yadav

Suryakumar Yadav: We'll look to bowl first. Looks humid, don't think the pitch will change much. There's a lot of talent involved in the group. Looks beautiful, lovely crowd, excited to play here. Tilak, Ravi Bishnoi, Rana and Jitesh miss out.

Najmul Hossain Shanto: It's a pretty new side. Last couple of months, they have worked hard. Looks fresh, I would have bowled first as well. Three seamers and two spinners.

The coin goes up and India have won the toss and opted to bowl first against Bangladesh.

When it comes to Bangladesh, the focus will be on Litton Das who had an underwhelming Test series against India. But he might turn out to be a different beast in the white-ball series with the veteran batter having a good record against India.

For India, the player to watch out for will be Sanju Samson who has had a rather hot and cold career in national colours. With Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill sitting this series out, the Rajasthan Royals skipper will hope to make the most of this opportunity.

With its dimensions of 64 meters and 65 meters square boundaries, and 74 meters straight down the ground, the pitch is likely to offer ample opportunities for scoring runs. The black soil surface, covered in dry grass, appears firm and conducive to batting. While there is no previous international match data to analyze, the recent Madhya Pradesh League (MPL) saw teams scoring heavily, with eight out of twelve matches won by the team batting second. The curator has confirmed that dew has not been an issue in the past four days, making the decision to bat first a strategic one. However, considering the freshness of the pitch, teams may opt to bowl first to take advantage of any potential early movement. Overall, the pitch conditions suggest a high-scoring encounter between India and Bangladesh, Abhinav Mukund said in his pitch report

It’s madness outside the stadium. It’s going to be a full house in Gwalior, says Pratyush Raj.

And it's official. Nitish Reddy and Mayank Yadav has been awarded the cap, reports Pratyush Raj from the ground.

Cricket fans are eagerly anticipating the return of international cricket to Gwalior after a 14-year hiatus. The newly-constructed Shrimant Madhavrao Scindia Cricket Stadium will host the first T20 International match between India and Bangladesh on Sunday.

Given the high-scoring nature of the inaugural Madhya Pradesh League (MPL), spectators can expect a run-filled encounter. In the 12 matches played at the venue in June, teams crossed the 200-run mark four times. The pitches have consistently favored batsmen, and this trend is expected to continue on Sunday. (READ MORE)

The toss will play an important factor in the game with the team winning it might opting to bowl first due to the presence of dew in the second innings. The pitch looks conducive it bat on so expect a run fest here.

Captain Roop Singh Stadium, named after the legendary hockey player and brother of Dhyan Chand, holds a special place in cricket history. It was here that the legendary Sachin Tendulkar achieved a historic milestone, scoring the first-ever ODI double century against South Africa in 2010.

However, despite its significance, the stadium has fallen into disrepair. The once-vibrant venue now features rusted scoreboards, outdated floodlights, dusty pavilions, and crumbling stands.

While the stadium's glory days may be behind it, its connection to Sachin Tendulkar's remarkable achievement will forever be remembered. As Gwalior prepares to host the India vs Bangladesh T20 series at the newly-built Shrimant Madhavrao Scindia Cricket Stadium, the legacy of Captain Roop Singh Stadium remains a testament to the city's rich cricketing heritage. (READ MORE)

Bowling coach Morne Morkel is doing all the hard yard here for the bowlers. He is the one running with the measuring tape on both sides of the pitch, Pratyush Raj reports

Nitish Reddy has marked his run up. Debut loading for the Andhra allrounder, reports Pratyush Raj from the venue. Mayank Yadav has just marked his run-up. Another debut, I guess, he adds.

Speaking of Mayank Yadav, our correspondent from the ground Pratyush Raj reports that the Lucknow Super Giants pacer is currently bowling on the practice pitch.

Rinku Singh, the promising young cricketer, has faced a challenging time during India's recent tour, failing to make a significant impact on the team's performance. Despite his impressive abilities, Singh's contributions have been limited. His most notable moment came in the final over of a match against Sri Lanka, where he took two wickets alongside Suryakumar Yadav to secure a Super Over victory. However, his batting performances have been underwhelming, with just two runs scored in his limited opportunities. (READ MORE)

Coming to Mayank Yadav, Surya hinted that the pace sensation might make his debut for India in the first match itself. This would be a real vote of confidence for the youngster who after setting the initial phase of IPL on fire, had to sit out the remainder of the tournament with an injury.

“Mayank has an X factor in him. He has that extra pace. I haven’t faced him in the nets but he is special,” SKY said. “It’s a great opportunity for youngsters like Mayank. We have to nurture players like him, he is a special talent. Mayank is fully fit and fine right now,” he added. 

If you were wondering what the opening combination will be for India, captain Suryakumar Yadav cleared the air, saying that Sanju Samson will be opening the innings in all three matches. “Sanju Samson will open the innings. He will play as an opener throughout the series,” SKY said.

The newly-constructed Shrimant Madhavrao Scindia Cricket Stadium, located on the outskirts of Gwalior, will make its international debut on Sunday, October 6th, 2024. This marks the city's first international match since 2010 when Sachin Tendulkar scored a historic double century at the previous venue, Captain Roop Singh Stadium. (Read more)