T20 World Cup Group D Preview: Bangladesh-Sri Lanka Battle Resumes, South Africa Aim To Impress

T20 World Cup Group D Preview: Bangladesh-Sri Lanka Battle Resumes, South Africa Aim To Impress

Dubai : Former ICC Men’s T20 World Cup champions Sri Lanka find themselves in Group D alongside South Africa, Bangladesh, Netherlands and Nepal for the upcoming tournament. This group promises thrilling matches with rivals Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, South Africa and Netherlands pitted against one another. While Nepal gears up for their second appearance in the marquee event, the group boasts no clear-cut favourite with history bearing witness that each team carries the potential to beat the other. Let’s run through the teams in this group and what we can expect from them. Bangladesh: Bangladesh enters the T20 World Cup with a bit of uncertainty as they continue to look for their strongest XI. Experienced opener Litton Das has been out of form of late with an average of 13.16 this year in six matches. Although teammate Tawhid Hridoy is confident that Das will make a strong comeback in the tournament. Another concern is the injury to vice-captain Taskin Ahmed and his fitness will be monitored prior to Bangladesh’s first contest against Sri Lanka on 7 June after he suffered a side strain before the final match of the recent series against Zimbabwe. The Tigers have backed experience. Other than Das, they have former Bangladesh skippers Mahmudullah and Shakib Al Hasan who can provide Najmul Hossain Shanto much-needed support as he undertakes his first ICC tournament as the new captain. Squad: Najmul Hossain Shanto (c), Taskin Ahmed (Vice Captain), Litton Kumer Das, Soumya Sarkar, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Shakib Al Hasan, Tawhid Hridoy, Mahmud Ullah Riyad, Jaker Ali Anik, Tanvir Islam, Shak Mahedi Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman, Shoriful Islam, Tanzim Hasan Sakib. Travelling reserves: Afif Hossain, Hasan Mahmud Fixtures: 7 June: Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh, Dallas 10 June: South Africa vs Bangladesh, New York 13 June: Bangladesh vs Netherlands, St. Vincent 16 June: Bangladesh vs Nepal, St. Vincent Players to watch out for: In conditions that are expected to be slow with some assistance from spinners, Mustafizur Rahman’s skill set including deceptive off-cutters can turn out to be useful. Mustafizur has time and again proven to be a match-winner for Bangladesh. His control in the middle overs and effectiveness in the final overs with a recovering Taskin Ahmed make him a priceless inclusion. Nepal: Nepal will feature a young side at the T20 World Cup, with 21-year-old Rohit Paudel leading the team as captain. Paudel’s recent form against West Indies A in the lead up to the tournament is a big positive with scores of 112, 71*, and 82 in the series. Gulshan Jha, who appeared at the U19 World Cup earlier in the year, along with 19-year-old Pratis GC are the other young stars expected to bring fireworks. Sompal Kami, the fast bowling all-rounder, is the sole player from Nepal’s inaugural 2014 squad to feature in the 2024 edition, with veteran Karan KC joining him as the team’s senior member. This will mark Nepal’s second appearance in the tournament making them the least experienced side in the group. Squad: Rohit Paudel (c), Aasif Sheikh, Anil Kumar Sah, Kushal Bhurtel, Kushal Malla, Dipendra Singh Airee, Lalit Rajbanshi, Karan KC, Gulshan Jha, Sompal Kami, Pratis GC, Sundeep Jora, Abinash Bohara, Sagar Dhakal, Kamal Singh Airee Fixtures: 4 June: Netherlands vs Nepal, Dallas 11 June: Sri Lanka vs Nepal, Florida 14 June: South Africa vs Nepal, St. Vincent 16 June: Bangladesh vs Nepal, St. Vincent Players to watch out for: The latest entrant in the six sixes club, Dipendra Singh Airee, comes in with a hard-hitting reputation. Dipendra bludgeoned six sixes in the ACC Men’s T20I Premier Cup clash against Qatar becoming only the third men’s player to do so in T20Is after Yuvraj Singh (2007) and Keiron Pollard (2021). He also is the current record holder of the fastest T20I fifty. The right-handed batter achieved this feat in nine balls, breaking Yuvraj’s record of 12 deliveries. The 24-year-old’s contribution in the middle overs can help Nepal put up a strong challenge in the group. Netherlands: The Netherlands have often brought the element of surprise in an ICC tournament. They have the edge over Proteas, beating them in the last two ICC Men’s tournaments – in the 2022 T20 World Cup and the 2023 Cricket World Cup. They will face South Africa again on 8 June in New York with the aim to complete a hat-trick of wins. 20-year-old Michael Levitt has found a place in the absence of Colin Ackermann after an impressive hundred against Namibia earlier this year. The Dutch have restored their core players for this edition with captain Scott Edwards, Bas de Leede, Logan van Beek, Max O’Dowd, Sybrand Engelbrecht, Vikram Singh and Wesley Barresi bringing the experience. Squad: Scott Edwards (c), Aryan Dutt, Bas de Leede, Daniel Doram, Fred Klaassen, Logan van Beek, Max O’Dowd, Michael Levitt, Paul van Meekeren, Sybrand Engelbrecht, Teja Nidamanuru, Tim Pringle, Vikram Singh, Viv Kingma, Wesley Barresi. Reserve: Kyle Klein Fixtures: 4 June: Netherlands vs Nepal, Dallas 8 June: Netherlands vs South Africa, New York 13 June: Bangladesh vs Netherlands, St. Vincent 16 June: Sri Lanka vs Netherlands, St. Lucia Players to watch out for: Bas de Leede has been instrumental for the Netherlands with both bat and ball. For his impressive performance last year, de Leede was awarded with the ICC Men’s Associate Cricketer of the Year. However, the 24-year-old all-rounder has played little T20I cricket of late, with his recent appearances in the tri-series with Scotland and Ireland being his first matches in the shortest format since 2022 at the most recent edition of the T20 World Cup. De Leede was one of the Netherlands’ best at the event where he finished as their leading wicket-taker with 13 scalps. South Africa: Perhaps the strongest side in this group and the tournament, South Africa have put together a strong squad. The batting line-up consists of experienced Quinton de Kock, Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller and Reeza Hendricks who can bludgeon bowling attacks with Ryan Rickelton and Tristan Stubbs…

Read More
Dipendra Singh Airee of Nepal matches Yuvraj Singh and Pollard Kieron with six sixes in an over | Cricket

Dipendra Singh Airee of Nepal matches Yuvraj Singh and Pollard Kieron with six sixes in an over | Cricket

Nepal batsman Dipendra Singh Airee became just the third man to hit six sixes in one over in an international T20 match when he achieved the feat against Qatar in Al Amerat on Saturday. Dipendra Singh Airee He joins India’s Yuvraj Singh, who made his runs off England’s Stuart Broad in Durban in the 2007 World Cup, and West Indies all-rounder Kieron Pollard who hammered Sri Lanka’s Akila Dananjaya in Antigua in 2021. Unlock exclusive access to the story of India’s general elections, only on the HT App. Download Now! South Africa’s Herschelle Gibbs and USA’s Jaskaran Malhotra have achieved the feat in one-day international cricket while no one has ever done it in Test cricket. Airee was on 28 from 15 balls, and Nepal on 174 for 7, when medium pacer Kamran Khan began the final over of the innings in the ACC Men’s Premier Cup match. The next six deliveries were all deposited over the ropes as Airee finished on 64 not out from 21 balls. Nepal, who will appear in their second T20 World Cup later this year in West Indies and USA, closed on 210 for 7 which was enough to beat Qatar by 32 runs. It was the second time that Airee, 24, has hit six successive sixes. He achieved it against Mongolia in their Asian Games meeting in Hangzhou in September, but on that occassion the six sixes were spread across two overs. Nepal begin their T20 World Cup against the Netherlands in Dallas on June 4. They will also play group games against South Africa, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

Read More
Six 6s in an over! Big-hitting Nepal finisher joins Yuvraj Singh, Kieron Pollard in elite list. Watch | Cricket News

Six 6s in an over! Big-hitting Nepal finisher joins Yuvraj Singh, Kieron Pollard in elite list. Watch | Cricket News

NEW DELHI: Nepal’s middle-order batter Dipendra Singh Airee on Saturday created history, becoming only the third batter to smash six sixes in an over in T20 international cricket.Finisher Dipendra achieved the rare feat during the ACC Premier Cup Group A game against Qatar in Al Amerat as he smashed six back-to-back sixes in the final over of the Nepal innings, powering his side to 210 for 7. With the remarkable effort, Dipendra joined India’s Yuvraj Singh and West Indies’ Kieron Pollard in the exclusive club.The 24-year-old is now also the fifth across all internationals to achieve the feat.Playing his 60th T20I, Dipendra carnage came in the final over of the innings when he ripped apart pacer Kamran Khan, taking him to all corners of the park.Starting the over at 28 off 15, Dipendra finished on an unbeaten 64 off just 21 balls at the end of the innings. With a total of three fours and 7 sixes in his 64-run carnage, Dipendra struck the ball at a strike rate of over 307.However, this is not the first time Dipendra has hit six back-to-back sixes.During the Asian Games in Hangzhou last year against Mongolia, Dipendra hit six consecutive sixes, spread across two overs.In that game, Dipendra scored 52 not out in 10 balls as Nepal put up a mammoth 314 for 3 — the first time a team scored 300-plus runs in a T20 game.Nepal then bowled Mongolia out for 41 in that contest.

Read More