2024 T20 World Cup: Predicting 3 players who could score the most runs in today’s India vs Bangladesh match
Team India are set to take on Bangladesh in their second match of the 2024 T20 World Cup Super 8 stage. The clash is scheduled to take place at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua on Saturday, June 22. The Men in Blue will have a foot in the semi-finals if they secure a win over their sub-continent rivals.
Rohit Sharma and company are unbeaten in the tournament and made an imperious start to the Super 8 stage with a comfortable win over Afghanistan. Bangladesh, on the other hand, suffered a tame loss at the hands of Australia in a rain-curtailed encounter, and the clash against India is a do-or-die one for them.
It has not been a tournament to remember for the batters due to the largely sluggish conditions throughout. However, runs, no matter how many, prove to be the difference in the end. So, there will not be any expectations of any centuries or memorable innings as such, but every run will count for sure.
On that note, let us take a look at three players who could score the most runs in today’s India vs Bangladesh match in the 2024 T20 World Cup.
#1 Virat Kohli
The law of averages dictates that the ace Indian batter is overdue for a huge score. The spotlight has been cast brightly on Virat Kohli, but no one has regarded his lack of runs as concerning. He looked in relatively good touch against Afghanistan on a tricky surface that required him to stay long.
However, on that occasion, it was not the demons in the pitch or the mastery of the bowler that got him out, it was poor shot selection. The Australian opening duo of Travis Head and David Warner had made easy work of the Bangladeshi bowlers in the recent clash at the same venue, and Kohli will hope to do more of the same.
He, however, has to tackle the new ball attack of Taskin Ahmed or Tanzim Sakib initially. If he gets into a groove with some positive strokes early on, then Kohli could capitalize and build his innings, something Bangladesh are not too unfamiliar with.
#2 Rishabh Pant
Team India's unprecedented No. 3 gamble has paid off for the time being, and the burst of momentum he provides regardless of the situation, particularly in the powerplay has often acted like a catalyst. Such spikes in scoring go a great way, which are difficult to generate in the first place, come in handy to go over the par score or reduce the required run rate and the pressure that comes with it.
The left-handed batter looked in great touch before his untimely dismissal in the clash against Afghanistan. He is Team India's leading run-scorer in the tournament so far, and the Men in Blue will be banking on him to wreak havoc and guide the team to the knockouts.
Pant might have to deal with right-arm spinner Mahedi Hasan's accuracy, even in the powerplay if it comes to it. However, he does have favorable matchups in the form of left-arm spinner Shakib Al Hasan and leg spinner Rishad Hossain to capitalize on in the middle overs.
#3 Towhid Hridoy
The likes of Hridoy, Najmul, and Tanzim are the pillars of Bangladesh's transition period, and the former has been an absolute revelation so far. The youngster is Bangladesh's leading run-scorer in the tournament and has already cultivated a reputation for standing tall when it matters.
He scored crucial knocks in Bangladesh's tricky fixtures against Sri Lanka, South Africa, and recently against Australia as well. He even stepped up against India during the 2023 Asia Cup, scoring 54 runs off 81 deliveries to help Bangladesh recover from a top-order collapse and record a memorable win.
Scoring runs against this Indian bowling attack in tricky conditions will be difficult, but the right-handed batter will certainly be up for the challenge.