• West Indies defeated Bangladesh by three runs.

  • Nicholas Pooran was named 'Player of the Match' for his batting performance.

T20 World Cup: Twitter erupts as Andre Russell pulls off a thrilling win for West Indies over Bangladesh
West Indies beat Bangladesh in a thriller (Image Source: Twitter)

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West Indies defeated Bangladesh in a last-over thriller at Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Friday to open their account in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2021.

Chasing a paltry target of 143, Bangladesh had a terrible start as they lost both openers Mohammad Naim (17) and Shakib Al Hasan (9) for 29 runs in 5.4 overs.

Then, Soumya Sarkar (17) and Mushfiqur Rahim (8) formed crucial stands of 31 and 30 runs, respectively, with Liton Das to keep Bangladesh in the game.

After losing Sarkar and Rahim, Das stayed on the crease and put together a vital stand of 40 runs for the fifth wicket. However, a fielding brilliance by Holder at the long-on got rid of Das for a well-made 44 runs.

With 13 needed off 6 balls, Andre Russell took the responsibility to bowl the final over and took Windies home. The right-handed batter only conceded nine runs as the defending champions won the contest by three runs.

Earlier, West Indies posted 142/7 on the board in their allotted 20 overs, thanks to crucial knocks by Nicholas Pooran and Roston Chase.

Chase made 39 off 46 at the top when his team was badly struggling after losing Chris Gayle (4), Evin Lewis (6), and Shimron Hetmyer (9) at 32 in 6.4 overs. Then, Pooran changed the momentum with a quickfire 22-ball 40 runs with the help of five boundaries, including four sixes.

All-rounder Jason Holder, who was recently added to the squad as a replacement for the injured left-arm seamer Obed McCoy, chipped in with valuable 15 off 5 balls down the order to help West Indies post a respectable total. Skipper Kieron Pollard remained unbeaten on 14 from 18 deliveries.

For Bangladesh, Shoriful Islam (2/20) and Mahedi Hasan (2/27) picked up a couple of wickets each. Similarly, Mustafizur Rahman also bagged two wickets, but he was quite expensive. Rahman ended up conceding 43 runs in his quota of 4 overs.

Smallest margin of win for WI (by runs):

  • 1 vs IND Lauderhill 2016
  • 3 vs BAN Sharjah 2021 *
  • 7 vs PAK Gros Islet 2011

Here is how Twitter reacted:

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