In their first T20 match of the series before the World Cup, the co-hosts United States beat a star-studded Bangladesh team by five wickets. The United States team, helped by a powerful batsman from New Zealand and a former India junior player, enjoyed a confidence-boosting victory over Bangladesh just over a week before the tournament begins.
Batting all-rounder Corey Anderson, who has significant experience playing for New Zealand in both Tests and white-ball matches, played a crucial role in the US victory. He scored an unbeaten 34 runs to help the US chase down Bangladesh’s score of 153-6 with just three balls to spare. Joining him in a match-winning partnership was Harmeet Singh, a former India under-19 player, who finished with 33 not out after hitting three sixes.
The Bangladesh team featured international stars like former captain Shakib alHasan, Mahmudullah, Najmul Shanto, Mahedi Hasan, Litton Das, and Mustafizur Rahman. This win was only the US team’s second victory over a top-tier ICC full member nation in T20s, with their first win coming against Ireland in 2021.
Ranked 19th in T20 cricket, the US team led by Monank Patel faces little chance of advancing beyond the group stage at the upcoming 20-nation World Cup. Despite this, the upset victory against Bangladesh raises hopes that the American team will perform well in front of their home fans. Their journey in the T20 World Cup begins with a match against Canada in Dallas on June 1, followed by matches against Pakistan and India before facing Ireland in their final group stage match.
Bangladesh, on the other hand, is placed in a tough group alongside Nepal, South Africa, Sri Lanka, and the Netherlands, known as the “group of death” in the tournament. The series opener win against Bangladesh has given the US team a boost as they prepare to take on top teams in the upcoming World Cup matches.