ICC T20 World Cup
Oman thumps debutant PNG by 10 wkts in T20 World Cup
Openers Jatinder Singh and Aqib Ilyas smashed unbeaten half centuries as co-host Oman thumped debutant Papua New Guinea by 10 wickets in its opening first-round Group B game on Sunday.
Singh scored 73 off 42 balls and Ilyas made 50 that eased the host to 131-0 with more than six overs to spare.
Earlier, skipper Zeeshan Ashraf (4-20) registered Oman’s best figures in a T20 and pinned down PNG to 129-9.
“These are our home conditions, we knew even 140 could be chased easily,” Ashraf said. “We knew the wicket was playing very well, we needed to make sure we didn’t give away loose balls and easy boundaries.”
PNG captain Assad Vala (56) and Charles Amini (37) did well to share an 81-run stand after openers Tony Ura and Lega Siaka had played Oman fast bowlers back onto their stumps without a run on the board.
Read: T20 World Cup 2021: Five Bangladesh players to watch out for in the tournament
But Amini’s run-out was followed by Singh taking a brilliant running catch at long-on before Ashraf, the left-arm spinner, grabbed three wickets in an over to derail the PNG innings.
Singh, played several impressive reverse sweeps, hitting seven fours and four sixes without any of the seven bowlers used by Vala able to trouble the batsman. He raised the victory with a six over mid-wicket in the 14th over.
The 131-run stand was Oman’s best partnership for any wicket in a T20 and the chase, without losing a wicket, was the third-highest in men’s T20 internationals.
“On that wicket, 129 was never going to be enough,” Vala said. “We were looking at 160-plus to give ourselves a chance. (First) Charles got run out, then myself getting out, (and) we lost our way. I think a lot of credit goes to Maqsood and his boys.”
Bangladesh and Scotland are the other two teams in the group and will play later Sunday. Group A comprises Ireland, Namibia, Sri Lanka and the Netherlands.
Read: Tigers to put onus on skill over power: Mahmudullah on eve of T20 WC
The top two teams from each group will advance to the Super 12 stage that starts in the United Arab Emirates next Saturday.
Five years ago, Oman sprung a surprise when it beat Ireland in its opening T20 World Cup game in India.
Bangladesh vs Scotland: Riyad asks Scots to bat first, picks 3 seamers
Bangladesh won the toss and opted to field first against Scotland in their T20 World Cup opener on Sunday at Muscat, Oman.
“The wicket looks good to bat on, but we want to chase down here,” Mahmudullah said right after winning the toss. "We want to play our best cricket, and we have included three allrounders in our playing eleven.”
Bangladesh overlooked opener Mohammad Naim and included Soumya as the opener. Along with Soumya, Liton Das will open the innings for Bangladesh.
Tigers to put onus on skill over power: Mahmudullah on eve of T20 WC
The latest edition of the ICC T20 World Cup is all set to commence from Sunday in Oman. On the first day of the event, Bangladesh will take on Scotland at the Al Amerat Cricket Ground Oman Cricket on Sunday at 8pm Dhaka time.
The match will be telecast in Bangladesh by Gtv, T Sports, and Btv while Rabbithole will telecast through YouTube.
Ahead of the first match, Bangladesh captain Mahmudullah Riyad said they will focus more on skilled batting instead of power-hitting which is more popular in the shortest format of international cricket.
“We know we don’t have power-hitting batters like other teams do, but we are confident in our skilled hitting ability. We will focus more on this skill in the World Cup,” Mahmudullah told in the pre-event press conference on Saturday in Muscat.
Bangladesh lost both of their warm-up matches in the UAE against Sri Lanka and Ireland. The Tigers’ captain believes it won’t be doing anything to damage the confidence of the players. He also thinks that the underperforming Mushfiqur Rahim is only one good innings away from finding his old form back.
“Mushfiqur is a batter who has the ability to turn the contest our way at any moment,” Mahmudullah said. “As a cricketer, you can go through a bad patch at any moment, and at the same time, you can get out of at any moment. I believe Mushfiqur needs only a good match to get back to form. We are not bothered about him. He can do well tomorrow (Sunday).”
Read: T20 World Cup 2021: Bangladesh vs. Scotland Match Preview
T20 World Cup 2021: Bangladesh’s Group Stage Fixtures
The top eight teams in the ICC T20 team rankings directly qualified to the Super 12s phase. The remaining four teams will be determined through a group phase, which will begin a week before the main event. Bangladesh and Sri Lanka did not qualify for the Super 12, thus they will compete in the group stage to advance to the next round. The six teams who qualified for the tournament through the 2019 ICC T20 World Cup Qualifier will join them. Let's have a look at the T20 World Cup 2021 group phase fixtures.
Read:IPL 2021 Final: Key Stats, Team News Ahead of CSK vs. KKR Championship Match
Group A Fixtures of T20 World Cup 2021
Ireland, Namibia, the Netherlands, and Sri Lanka are the four teams in Group A. Among the teams, Sri Lanka are the clear favorites to advance to the Super 12s. However, the Lankan side may encounter stiff challenges playing against Ireland and the Netherlands.
Ireland are a promising team with the potential to upset strong opponents on any given day. On the other hand, the Netherlands are known for being a giant killer. They have a history of upsetting big teams in World Cup tournaments. Therefore, when confronting these opponents, Sri Lanka must take them seriously.
Namibia are a very weak team, thus making it to the group stage of the World Cup is a significant accomplishment. The winner of this group will play in Group 1, while the runner-up will play in Group 2 in the Super 12s round.
Read:Tigers lose the plot while fielding to lose first warm-up against SL
ICC T20 World Cup 2021 Group A Schedule
Date
Fixture
Venue
Time
October 18 (Monday)
Ireland vs Netherlands
Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi
4 PM
October 18 (Monday)
Sri Lanka vs Namibia
Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi
8 PM
October 20
(Wednesday)
Namibia vs. Netherlands
Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi
4 PM
October 20
(Wednesday)
Sri Lanka vs. Ireland
Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi
8 PM
October 22 (Friday)
Namibia vs. Ireland
Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah
4 PM
October 22 (Friday)
Sri Lanka vs. Netherlands
Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah
8 PM
Source: https://www.espncricinfo.com/
Read Defeat in warm-up match not a big thing: Minhajul
Group B Fixtures of T20 World Cup 2021
Bangladesh, Scotland, Oman, and Papua New Guinea are the four teams in Group B. On paper, Bangladesh appear to be the clear favorite to finish top in Group B's points table. Scotland will put Bangladesh to the test when the two teams play on Sunday (October 17). Whoever wins the contest will be favourite to take the first position in the points table.
One of the T20 World Cup 2021 hosts, Oman and Oceania’s Papua New Guinea have a slim chance of progressing to the next round. Participating in the preliminary round of the Twenty20 World Cup will be a significant achievement for both the associate nations of the International Cricket Council.
The winner of this group will play in Group 2, while the runner-up will play in Group 1 in the Super 12s round of the ICC Men’s Twenty20 World Cup 2021.
Read: Mahmudullah out of Bangladesh’s first warm-up match
ICC T20 World Cup 2021 Group B Schedule
Date
Fixture
Venue
Time
October 17 (Sunday)
Oman vs Papua New Guinea
Al Amerat Cricket Ground, Oman
4 PM
October 17 (Sunday)
Bangladesh vs. Scotland
Al Amerat Cricket Ground, Oman
8 PM
October 19
(Tuesday)
Scotland vs. Papua New Guinea
Al Amerat Cricket Ground, Oman
4 PM
October 19
(Tuesday)
Oman vs. Bangladesh
Al Amerat Cricket Ground, Oman
8 PM
October 21 (Thursday)
Bangladesh vs. Papua New Guinea
Al Amerat Cricket Ground, Oman
4 PM
October 21 (Thursday)
Oman vs. Scotland
Al Amerat Cricket Ground, Oman
8 PM
Source: https://www.espncricinfo.com/
Read:IPL 2021 Eliminator: Shakib Scores the Winning Run as Kolkata Secure Qualifier 2
Verdict
As per the fixture, the competitive group in the T20 World Cup 2021 is Group A. Ireland, the Netherlands, and Sri Lanka are set to compete for a spot in the Super 12s Round of World Cup. Group B includes Bangladesh and Scotland. These two teams are considerably stronger than the rest of the group. The top two teams in each group will progress to the Super 12s phase. As a result, a tough contest can be expected among the participating teams in the group phase for a berth in the next round.
ICC T20 World Cup 2021: Potential milestones to achieve by Bangladeshi players
Bangladesh cricket team will begin their T20 World Cup campaign on October 17. First, they will face the qualifying round in order to qualify for the Super 12 round. Cricketers have to play to their full potential right from the beginning. Bangladesh should have a good campaign if they perform well as a team. Players will get the opportunity to achieve some personal milestones during the competition. The milestones that Bangladesh players can achieve during the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 are discussed in this article.
Attainable Milestones for Bangladeshi Players in the T20 World Cup 2021
13,000 International Runs
Mr. dependable Mushfiqur Rahim will be able to complete his 13,000 international runs if he finds his best groove in the competition. He currently has 12,598 runs in 433 innings and needs just 402 more runs to reach the milestone.
Read National Cricket League to be more competitive, hopes Habibul
4,000 International Runs
Left-arm top-order batsman Soumya Sarkar may reach 4,000 international runs during the tournament. He needs merely 292 runs to reach the milestone. So far, Soumya has 3,708 runs in 150 innings for Bangladesh
600 International Wickets
The best all-rounder in the world Shakib Al Hasan only needs two wickets to become the first Bangladeshi player to reach 600 international wickets. He has 598 international wickets in 361 matches for Bangladesh.
Read Bangladesh U-19 to travel Sri Lanka in October
100 International Wickets
Pace bowler Taskin Ahmed can get 100 international wickets at the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 if he finds his best rhythm. Taskin has 90 international wickets in 74 appearances for Bangladesh, and he needs only 10 more to reach the century mark.
150 International Catches
Bangladesh's T20 captain Mahmudullah Riyad is only four catches away from reaching his 150 international catches. He has 146 catches In 352 appearances for Bangladesh.
Read Afghanistan win one-off Youth Test beating Bangladesh by three wickets
100 International Catches
Shakib Al Hasan has 98 international catches in 361 games for Bangladesh, and he barely needs two more to get 100 catches on the international stage.
50 International Catches
Liton Das needs three more catches to get 50 international catches for Bangladesh. He has 47 catches in 110 appearances for Bangladesh.
Read T20 World Cup 2021: Shakib Al Hasan can break two records in the qualifying round
400 International Matches
Mushfiqur Rahim would become the first Bangladeshi player to play in 400 matches if he plays 7 matches in the competition.
2000 T20I Runs
Both Mahmudullah Riyad and Shakib Al Hasan have an opportunity to reach 2,000 T20I runs during the T20 World Cup. Mamudullah has 1771 runs in 102 matches and needs 229 more runs to hit the landmark. On the other hand, Shakib Al Hasan has 1763 runs in 88 matches for Bangladesh and needs 237 more runs to reach the 2,000 T20I runs milestone.
Read Hasan Mahmud needs to go abroad for medical examination: BCB chief physician
1000 T20I Runs
Top-order batsman Liton Das needs 289 runs to become the sixth Bangladeshi to achieve 1,000 T20I runs. He has 711 runs in 37 T20 innings for Bangladesh.
Most Wickets in T20I
Shakib Al Hasan would surpass Lankan bowler Lasith Malinga as the highest wicket-takers in T20I if he gets two more wickets in the competition. Shakib has 106 wickets in 88 appearances for Bangladesh.
Read Tamim set to fly for Nepal to take part in EPL
100 T20I Appearances
Mushfiqur Rahim may become the second Bangladeshi player to complete 100 T20I appearances after Mahmudullah Riyad. Mushfiqur will attain the milestone if Bangladesh advance to the semifinals in the T20 World Cup.
Most Matches as T20I Captain
Surpassing Mashrafe Mortaza, Mahmudullah Riyad will captain Bangladesh for the most T20I matches during the ICC T20 World Cup 2021. Mahmudullah Riyad has led Bangladesh in 27 matches. He has a record of 13 wins and 14 losses. On the other hand, Mashrafe Mortaza captained Bangladesh in 28 matches, winning 10 and losing 17.
Read IPL 2021: Will Shakib Al Hasan Play in a crucial MI vs. KKR match?
Bottom Line
Bangladesh have a good chance of doing well in the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 because the competition is being hosted in Asia. The Bangladesh team should do well in the competition because of the favorable weather and pitch conditions. Some talented players of the team may accomplish personal milestones if they play to their full potential. It will also motivate players to improve their performance on the field. Overall, tiger cricket fans hope for a better showing from Bangladeshi players in the competition.
Virat Kohli to step down as India's T20 skipper
India's charismatic skipper Virat Kohli on Thursday announced that he would step down as the country's T20 international captain after the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup.
The announcement comes just three days after local media reported that right-handed batsman Rohit Sharma may take over as India's one-day and T20I captain after the mega tournament, slated to take place in Dubai and Oman from October 17 to November 14.
"I have decided to step down as the T20 captain after this T20 World Cup in Dubai in October," the 32-year-old said in a social media post.
Virat has, of late, faced questions over his batting and captaincy. He last scored a century in a Test match in November 2019. For 51 innings, he has not hit a hundred in any international format of the game.
Virat, who took over as India's T20I captain in 2017 after Mahendra Singh Dhoni stepped down from his position, said he took head coach Ravi Shastri into confidence before spelling out his decision, which he attributed to "immense workload" in all formats of the game.
Read: Superstar couple Anushka & Virat Kohli urge paparazzis 'to stay away from our baby'
"... considering my immense workload over the last 8-9 years playing all 3 formats and captaining regularly for the last 5-6 years, I feel I need to give myself space to be fully ready to lead the Indian team in Test and ODI Cricket," he wrote.
However, Virat made it clear that he will continue to lead the team in Test cricket and ODIs."I have given everything to the Team during my time as T20 captain and I will continue to do so for the T20 team as a batsman moving forward," he wrote.
A right-handed top-order batsman, Kohli is regarded as one of the best contemporary batsmen in the world. He has been the national cricket team's captain since 2013. Since October 2017, he has been the top-ranked ODI batsman in the world.
In 2018, Time magazine named Kohli one of the 100 most influential people in the world. In 2020, he became the only cricketer in the world to feature in Forbes list of the top 100 highest-paid athletes in the world with an estimated earnings of USD 26 million.
ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021: Five Potential Replacements of Tamim Iqbal
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.
ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021: Who Are Favourites?
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.