BAN Edge WI in Thriller Despite Powell’s Heroics

Bangladesh clinched a dramatic seven-run victory over the West Indies in the opening T20I in St. Vincent, overcoming Rovman Powell’s explosive 60 off 35 balls. Mahedi Hasan was instrumental in dismantling the West Indies top order, taking 4 for 13, leaving the hosts reeling at 61 for 7 before Powell’s valiant efforts almost turned the game around. 

The West Indies, chasing 148, suffered a poor start as Taskin Ahmed and Mahedi struck early, dismissing Brandon King and Nicholas Pooran, respectively. Johnson Charles showed resistance with a 25-run burst in the fourth over but was soon dismissed by Mahedi. The bowler then claimed two quick wickets in his third over, leaving the hosts in deeper trouble. 

A late revival came through Powell and Romario Shepherd, whose 67-run partnership reignited the chase. The duo added 50 runs in three overs, bringing the equation down to 20 runs off the final three overs. However, Shepherd’s dismissal and tight bowling from Hasan Mahmud, including Powell’s wicket in the final over, sealed the win for Bangladesh. 

Earlier, Bangladesh’s innings recovered from early setbacks, with Soumya Sarkar’s 43 and Shamim Hossain’s quickfire 27 playing key roles. Despite Akeal Hosein’s disciplined spell, late contributions from Mahedi ensured the visitors posted a competitive 147 for 6. 

The win gave Bangladesh a 1-0 lead in the series, highlighting their resilience in a closely fought contest where Powell’s brilliance fell just short of a match-winning effort.

Brief Scores: Bangladesh 147/6 in 20 overs (Soumya Sarkar 43, Shamim Hossain 27; Akeal Hosein 2-13, Obed McCoy 2-30) beat West Indies 140 in 20 overs (Rovman Powell 60, Romario Shepherd 22; Mahedi Hasan 4-13, Hasan Mahmud 2-18) by 7 runs