On the festive night, records tumbled left, right, and center as Team India continued to set lofty standards of ultra-attacking batting, with Sanju Samson and Suryakumar Yadav unleashing a breathtaking storm of stroke play to lay the foundation for a 133-run win over Bangladesh in the dead-rubber third T20I in Hyderabad.
"Carnage" is the only way to describe the scene at Uppal. Despite the festivities, fans flocked to the stadium in large numbers, and they were rewarded with a batting masterclass as India’s batters sent the ball flying to all parts of the ground, delivering an unforgettable spectacle.
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It was one-way traffic from the very start, with Samson leading the charge in a commanding display. Having faced criticism for failing to convert his starts into big scores, he silenced the doubters in style today. Everything he struck came sweetly off the middle of the bat, putting on a masterclass of stroke play that left Bangladesh reeling. It was, in every sense, a flamboyant century that had the crowd on their feet throughout. The highlight of his innings came in the 10th over when he smashed five consecutive sixes. Whether it was pace or spin, Samson dismantled it all. Such was the dominance of his knock that even Suryakumar 's rapid 75 off 35 balls seemed relatively measured by comparison.
Samson is a quiet character, not known for expressing his emotions, but as soon as he completed his fifty, he punched the air in delight-something uncharacteristic of him-and celebrated in an animated manner. Needless to say, there was pressure on him. Having had the opportunity to open in this series, the wicket-keeper batter had registered back-to-back failures, which is why this innings meant so much to him.
Alongside Suryakumar Yadav, Samson dismantled the Bangladesh bowling attack, putting on a mammoth 173-run partnership in just 69 balls for the second wicket. Samson brought up his maiden T20I century, which also happens to be the second-fastest for India. On a flat pitch, both batters left the crowd in awe, unleashing a barrage of impeccable shots that left everyone breathless.
Even after their dismissals in quick succession, the runs kept flowing as Hardik Pandya and Riyan Parag took charge, continuing the same aggressive momentum. They attacked from the first ball, piling pressure on the Bangladesh bowlers, who had no answers. Apart from Abhishek Sharma and Nitish Kumar Reddy, every batter enjoyed their time on the field.
As Bangladesh's bowlers struggled to contain the onslaught, their captain, Najmul Hossain Shanto, looked helpless. Amidst the brutal assault, Bangladesh's frustrations grew, with several no-balls, dropped catches, and missed run-out opportunities only adding to their woes. Nothing seemed to go their way.
The visitors never truly threatened in the run chase. Although they managed to avoid losing wickets in clusters throughout the innings, especially after the early setback of losing the first wicket on the very first ball, they struggled to keep up with the required run rate. A reshuffled batting order failed to produce the desired results for Bangladesh, as their top order was once again blown early. Litton Das and Towhid Hridoy provided some resistance, with Litton departing for 42 and Hridoy notching a half-century, but beyond their efforts, the Bangla Tigers showed little fight.
Ravi Bishnoi, making his return to the side, delivered a standout performance with figures of 3/30, including a maiden over. Mayank Yadav, the only frontline pacer, picked up two wickets—one with the new ball and another in the middle overs. Washington Sundar and Nitish Kumar Reddy chipped in with a wicket apiece. Although India’s fielding wasn’t flawless, with Mayank looking a bit sloppy at times, the team was otherwise ruthless in every aspect of the game.
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