In a surprising turn of events, the United States cricket team, ranked 19th in T20Is, defeated Bangladesh, the 9th ranked team, by five wickets in Texas. This impressive victory gave the USA a 1-0 lead in the three-match series and marked their second triumph against a Full Member nation in T20Is, following their win against Ireland in 2021. Former India Under-19 cricketer Harmeet Singh was the star of the match, finishing unbeaten on 33 off 13 balls. His three consecutive sixes were crucial in shifting the momentum towards the USA. He and Corey Anderson, who remained not out on 34, added an unbroken 62-run stand for the sixth wicket.
The USA’s bowlers set the tone early, restricting Bangladesh to 153 for 6. The visitors struggled with the bat, losing key wickets and finding themselves at 68 for 4. Litton Das and Najmul Hossain Shanto failed to deliver, scoring 14 and 3 runs respectively. However, Towhid Hridoy and Mahmudullah rescued the innings, with Hridoy top-scoring with 58 and Mahmudullah adding 31 runs.
Litton Das had a challenging innings, marred by missed opportunities and eventual dismissal by Jasdeep Singh for 14. Soumya Sarkar and Najmul Hossain Shanto also fell cheaply, putting Bangladesh under pressure. Hridoy and Mahmudullah’s partnership brought some stability, but their total proved insufficient.
Monank Patel and Andries Gous provided a solid start for the USA. Gous’s quickfire boundaries set the pace before he was dismissed for 29. The fall of his wicket slowed the USA’s run chase, but Harmeet Singh’s late onslaught revived their hopes. Singh’s two consecutive sixes off Mustafizur Rahman and another off Shoriful Islam were pivotal in changing the game’s direction.
With 24 runs needed from the last 12 balls, Corey Anderson’s sixes off Mustafizur and Mahmudullah kept the USA in the hunt. Harmeet Singh sealed the victory with a boundary, marking a significant achievement for USA cricket and highlighting their potential on the international stage.
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