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IND vs BAN 2024: 3 players who starred and 2 who flopped in the 3rd India vs Bangladesh T20I match ft. Sanju Samson & Abhishek Sharma

Team India put the exclamation point on their T20I series against Bangladesh as they beat the Tigers by a whopping 133 runs in the final encounter at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Saturday, October 12. The visitors ended their tour of India without a single victory to their name, not even competing on most days.

Gautam Gambhir and the team management will be delighted with the way India performed in the third T20I, with the batters coming to the party and being ably supported by the bowlers on a belter of a wicket. It was a thoroughly dominant performance from start to finish, although a couple of young players didn't have much of a say on the result.

On that note, here are three players who starred and two who flopped in the third T20I between India and Bangladesh.


#5 Star - Sanju Samson

Coming into the third T20I against Bangladesh, Sanju Samson definitely needed a performance of note. After failures in the first two matches, pressure was mounting on the opening batter to nail down his spot.

Samson was in his absolute element in Hyderabad as he walloped the Bangladesh bowlers all around the park. He gave himself room in the powerplay and smashed Taskin Ahmed for a series of fours to kick his innings off, following it up with some sensational shots over the off-side.

The best moment of Samson's whirlwind winnings came when he smacked Rishad Hossain for five sixes in a single over. He notched up his maiden T20I century, much to his and his fans' relief. We could see him finally become an integral part of the team going forward.


#4 Flop - Abhishek Sharma

India v Bangladesh - 2nd T20 - Source: Getty
India v Bangladesh - 2nd T20 - Source: Getty

While Samson delivered on his promise, Abhishek Sharma failed to impress in the third T20I against Bangladesh. The left-handed opener ended the series without a single notable batting contribution to his name.

Tanzim Hasan Sakib had troubled Abhishek in the last game, and he sent down a fiery bouncer that the batter could only top-edge to a man running back in the circle. The left-arm spinner also bowled an uneventful over that went for eight runs. It was a disappointing performance from him.


#3 Star - Hardik Pandya

India v Bangladesh - 2nd T20 - Source: Getty
India v Bangladesh - 2nd T20 - Source: Getty

Hardik Pandya's batting form will be one of India's biggest takeaways from the series. The star all-rounder was able to hit both pace and spin right from the start and on both sides of the wicket.

Hardik played some scintillating shots in Hyderabad as he cleared the boundary with ease. While he couldn't make an impact with the ball, he was unlucky to see Washington Sundar drop a catch in the deep and got some movement with the new ball.

Hardik seems to be close to the best hitting form of his career, and his bowling seems to be shaping up well too.


#2 Flop - Nitish Kumar Reddy

The Player of the Match from the second T20I, Nitish Kumar Reddy couldn't make an impact in Hyderabad. He was dismissed on the first ball while trying to go over the leg-side boundary, and the first over that he bowled in the powerplay went for 20 runs.

While economy rates were always going to take a hit in Hyderabad, the reason behind Nitish going for runs was the fact that he was often too wide. While he did come back well in his last two overs, even picking up a wicket, India would have expected more from their pace-bowling all-rounder who seems to be so developed at such a young age.


#1 Star - Suryakumar Yadav

SKY and Samson were incredible [Image: BCCI on X]
SKY and Samson were incredible [Image: BCCI on X]

After the loss of Abhishek's wicket, India needed someone to carry the momentum through the remainder of the powerplay as well as the middle overs. While Samson obviously did that with his century, he received ample support from Suryakumar Yadav at the other end.

Suryakumar's trademark pickup shots were in effect once again, and he also played some delightful strokes in front of square. He picked the gaps in the leg side at will, against both pace and spin, making his first half-century of the series.

Suryakumar is among the senior men in the side, but he doesn't show any signs of declining. In fact, he only seems to be getting better.


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