Sat Oct 12 13:50:00 UTC 2024: ## India’s New Opening Pair Stumbles in T20I Opener Against Bangladesh
**Gwalior:** India’s new opening combination of Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma got off to a disastrous start in the first T20I against Bangladesh, with Sharma being run out cheaply for 16. The dismissal came after a miscommunication between the two batsmen, leaving India on the back foot early in their chase of a 128-run target.
The incident occurred on the final ball of the second over, with Samson playing a soft shot towards mid-wicket. Both batsmen started looking for a single, with Samson initially encouraging Sharma to run before calling him back. However, it was too late for Sharma, and Bangladesh’s Towhid Hridoy inflicted a run-out to secure an early breakthrough.
Despite the unfortunate dismissal, Sharma had showcased his explosive hitting potential during his brief stay at the crease, smashing a six and two boundaries. He scored 16 runs at a strike rate of 228.57.
India’s captain Suryakumar Yadav had confirmed Samson and Sharma’s opening partnership before the series, with Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill being rested for the three-match series. Both Jaiswal and Gill had been instrumental in India’s recent 2-0 T20I series sweep over Bangladesh, with Jaiswal topping the run-scoring charts with 189 runs and Gill following closely behind with 164 runs.
In the first T20I, India’s bowlers dominated, with Arshdeep Singh and Varun Chakravarthy claiming three wickets each, bowling out Bangladesh for 127. Najmul Hossain Shanto top-scored for Bangladesh with 27 off 25 balls, while Mehidy Hasan Miraz contributed 35 in 32 deliveries.
Mayank Agarwal, making his comeback after five months, impressed on his return, taking a wicket for 21 runs.
First Piper 