The India vs Bangladesh cricket rivalry is suddenly gaining traction as Bangladesh, after defeating Pakistan, is set to challenge India. The Men in Blue will play two Test matches and three T20Is against Bangladesh. There is no question that, after India vs Pakistan and India vs Australia, this rivalry has also gained popularity for many reasons.
If we look back in the past, India vs Bangladesh cricket matches were considered a love affair, thanks in part to late BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmiya, who did a lot for Bangladesh cricket, from fighting for their Test status to organizing a tri-series competition to give the team more game time. However, things changed significantly, and the friendly affair slowly but steadily became a tightly contested affair. Here, we will see three matches that exemplified the heated encounters between India and Bangladesh.
India vs Bangladesh cricket rivalry
IND vs BAN 2007 ODI World Cup
After many friendly competitions that helped Bangladesh gain more game time, the team, which believes India is their big sibling, showed their resilience in the 2007 ODI World Cup. At that time, Team India, packed with stars like Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, and Zaheer Khan, was expected to clinch the title easily. However, the first game against the Bangladesh Tigers came as a shock. India’s batting tumbled, and they only managed to score 191 runs.
When Bangladesh came to bat, their opener, Tamim Iqbal, stepped out and smashed a six off Zaheer Khan, showing newfound confidence. Then, the now legendary but then young batter, Mushfiqur Rahim, hit the winning runs, and his pumped celebration was the first nail in the bag of this riveting rivalry.
IND vs BAN 2016 T20 World Cup
Now, the evergreen match that remains a golden memory for Indian fans but a sour moment for Bangladesh was the India vs Bangladesh encounter in the 2016 T20 World Cup, held at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. It was a thrilling match still remembered by many. India set a decent target of 145 runs, which seemed to favor them initially.
However, Bangladesh’s strong start created tension as the game came down to the last over, requiring 11 runs. The ball was handed to young Hardik Pandya, while the experienced Mushfiqur Rahim was at the crease.
Those final balls were full of entertainment, as Rahim smashed two boundaries on the 19.2 and 19.3 deliveries, bringing the equation down to two runs from three balls. However, premature celebrations killed Bangladesh’s hopes of achieving their first T20 win against India, as they lost three wickets in the last three balls. Outstanding catches, first off Mahmudullah and then Rahim, were followed by a last-ball run-out by MS Dhoni, which was penned in golden words.
IND vs BAN Nidahas Trophy Final
One match that is still fresh in everyone’s memory and that people never tire of talking about is the Nidahas Trophy 2018 Final between these two neighbors. Bangladesh, which has always come close to beating India but failed to achieve that milestone, faced a similar situation here. After putting a decent total of 166 runs on the board in 20 overs, they came to bowl and faced a counterattack from Rohit Sharma, who scored 56 runs. However, the Tigers managed to get rid of him.
As the match reached its climax, the equation in the last two overs was 12 runs needed off 34 balls, with young Vijay Shankar struggling to find boundaries. Enter Dinesh Karthik, who smashed Rubel Hossain for 22 runs, taking full advantage of missed yorkers. The tension climbed up as just five runs were required off the last ball. Soumya Sarkar did everything he could, but it was Dinesh Karthik’s day, as he smashed a boundary to clinch the game for India in this nerve-wracking final.
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