Windies in search of T20 sweep in Bangladesh

The West Indies cricket team is poised to secure a clean sweep in their three-match T20 series against Bangladesh as they prepare for the final showdown in Chattogram on October 31. This potential victory would mark their first series sweep since August 2024, when they triumphed over South Africa 3-0. Since then, the West Indies have struggled, winning only two out of nine T20 series, including the current one against Bangladesh. The first two matches of this series followed a similar script, with the West Indies batting first and securing victories by margins of 16 and 14 runs, respectively. In the opening match on October 27, captain Shai Hope and Rovman Powell led the charge with unbeaten scores of 46 and 44, respectively, propelling the team to a total of 165/3. Bangladesh fell short, bowled out for 149 in 19.4 overs, with Jayden Seales and Jason Holder claiming three wickets each. The second match on October 29 saw the West Indies falter after a strong start, collapsing to 149/9 despite half-centuries from Hope (55) and Alick Athanaze (52). Romario Shepherd and Akeal Hosein then stepped up, taking three wickets apiece to restrict Bangladesh to 135/8. Head coach Daren Sammy has expressed concerns over dropped catches and may consider changes to the starting XI, particularly with Sherfane Rutherford’s poor form. Following this series, the West Indies will face New Zealand in a multi-format tour starting November 5, aiming to avenge their 2-1 T20 series loss in 2022.