India thrash Bangladesh in 1st T20I , Varun makes comeback

 

On Sunday, India's Minister of Civil Aviation, Jyotiraditya Scindia, attended the India-Bangladesh match. The new stadium in Gwalior, named after his father Madhavrao Scindia, made its debut with this match. The venue, Shri Maanth Madhavrao Scindia Cricket Stadium, hosted its first international match, where India, led by Suryakumar Yadav, defeated Bangladesh by 7 wickets.

During the British era, the last ruler of Gwalior was Jiwajirao Scindia, and his son Madhavrao later became a minister in independent India. Madhavrao tragically died in a plane crash at the age of 56. The stadium named in his honor has a current seating capacity of 30,000, with plans to expand to 50,000. In this debut match, Bangladesh batted first and scored 127 runs, a target India chased down comfortably with 49 balls to spare.

India had previously defeated Bangladesh 2-0 in the Test series, and despite the T20 squad being different, India showed the same dominance. Sunday's match saw debuts for Nitish Kumar Reddy and Mayank Yadav. Fans were eager to see how this young Indian team, captained by Suryakumar, would perform. It was a promising start as left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh and Varun Chakravarthy, returning to the team after three years, each took three wickets. Mayank, Hardik Pandya, and Washington Sundar contributed with a wicket each.

Varun, playing for India for the first time since his last match against Scotland in Dubai in 2021, delivered an impressive performance. In those three years, India had played 86 T20 matches, with Varun missing out. His return was marked by taking 3 wickets for 31 runs in 4 overs, dismissing Towhid Hridoy, Zakir Ali, and Rishad Hossain. Meanwhile, Arshdeep, a veteran of 54 T20 matches, also grabbed three wickets.

Mayank Yadav caught everyone's attention with a maiden over in his international debut. Known for his pace, having bowled at 156 km/h in the IPL, Mayank didn't quite reach that speed on Sunday but still impressed, taking 1 wicket for 21 runs in 4 overs, dismissing Bangladesh’s Mahmudullah.

India faced a target of 128, and Abhishek Sharma provided a quick start with 16 runs off 7 balls, including two fours and a six, although he was unfortunately run out. Sunday saw the formation of a new opening pair for India, with Abhishek opening alongside Sanju Samson. A mix-up between the two led to Abhishek's run-out, but this did not hinder India’s victory. Suryakumar led the charge with a quick 29 off 14 balls, while Hardik Pandya remained unbeaten with 39 off 16 balls, including a remarkable shot where he hit the ball without looking in the direction it was going. This showcased India's dominance in the match.

Sunday’s game was not just about defeating Bangladesh but also about India’s internal battle to fill the shoes of senior players like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravindra Jadeja, who had recently retired from the T20 format following the World Cup. As a result, many young players were given opportunities in this series. Sanju Samson, for instance, got his chance in the absence of Rishabh Pant, and he contributed 29 runs from 19 balls. India is also evaluating players like Riyan Parag for future T20 matches, with an eye on the 2026 T20 World Cup.

India’s next match will be in Delhi on October 9, during the Durga Puja celebrations. A victory in Delhi would secure the series for Suryakumar's team.