The West Indies have secured an unassailable 2-0 lead in the Dutch-Bangla T20 International Series against Bangladesh, defeating the Tigers in back-to-back matches. The team entered the fixture aiming to claim only their second series win of the year, having lost four out of five bilateral matchups in 2025. Once again, a packed house at the Bir Shreshtho Flight Lieutenant Matiur Rahman Cricket Stadium turned out in full support.
The West Indies won the toss and elected to bat first. Brandon King nearly lost his wicket on the very first ball, but was dropped by wicketkeeper Litton Das. He would fall soon after, gently pushing the ball to cover, where the catch was taken. His dismissal brought captain Shai Hope to the crease, and he helped propel the Windies to 50 runs in the powerplay.
Much of Hope’s contribution — 55 runs off 36 deliveries — came in tandem with Alick Athanaze, who added 52 runs of his own, as part of a second-wicket partnership worth 105 runs. During his innings, the West Indian skipper also surpassed 5 000 career T20 runs.
After Hope and Athanaze were dismissed, a flurry of West Indian wickets followed. The team collapsed from 106-2 to 118-6 in quick succession and was ultimately restricted to a modest 149-8 after 20 overs. Mustafizur Rahman was the pick of the bowlers, finishing with figures of 3-21.
In reply, Bangladesh struggled to gain momentum. They reached 37-1 after the powerplay, but could have been further down had the Men in Maroon not dropped multiple catches — four in total. Despite their fielding, the West Indies clawed their way back into the match with disciplined bowling. Akeal Hosein (3-22), Romario Shepherd (3-29), and Jason Holder (2-20) made life difficult for the Bangladeshi batters, ultimately restricting them to 135-8. Tanzid Hasan would be the only highlight for Bangladesh, scoring a gutsy 61.
The Men in Maroon will aim for a series sweep when they face Bangladesh again on November 2. Every match remains important for the Windies as they prepare for the next year’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
