The United States of America(USA), ranked 19th in T20Is, stunned the cricket world by defeating Bangladesh, the 9th ranked team, with a five-wicket victory in Texas. This match marked the USA’s second win against a Full Member nation in T20Is, their first being against Ireland in 2021. The hosts dominated the proceedings, securing a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. Harmeet Singh, a former India Under-19 cricketer, played a pivotal role by hitting three consecutive sixes to swing the momentum in the USA’s favor. He remained unbeaten on 33 off 13 balls, forging an unbroken sixth-wicket partnership of 62 runs in 4.4 overs with Corey Anderson, who was also not out on 34.
The USA’s bowlers set the stage for their batsmen by restricting Bangladesh to 153 for 6. The visitors struggled early, slipping to 68 for 4 as key batsmen Litton Das and Najmul Hossain Shanto failed to make significant contributions. However, Towhid Hridoy and Mahmudullah managed to stabilize the innings, with Hridoy top-scoring with 58 runs and sharing a 67-run partnership with Mahmudullah, who scored 31 off 22 balls.
Litton Das had a particularly frustrating outing, managing only 14 runs before being trapped lbw by Jasdeep Singh. Soumya Sarkar and Najmul Hossain Shanto also fell cheaply, leaving Bangladesh in a precarious position. Hridoy and Mahmudullah’s efforts helped their team reach a respectable total, but it proved insufficient against the determined opposition side.
Monank Patel and Andries Gous provided a solid start for the USA, with Gous hitting a series of boundaries before being caught out for 29. The fall of Gous’s wicket slowed the USA’s momentum, but Harmeet Singh’s late blitz revived their chase. Singh’s two straight sixes off Mustafizur Rahman and another off Shoriful Islam shifted the pressure back onto Bangladesh. Corey Anderson, meanwhile, played a steady hand, hitting crucial sixes in the final overs.
The USA required 24 runs off the last 12 balls, and Anderson’s sixes off Mustafizur and Mahmudullah brought them to the brink of victory. Harmeet Singh sealed the historic win with a boundary, marking a significant milestone for USA cricket.
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