Powell’s Power Finish Seals Win for West Indies

News Desk

Guyana: Rovman Powell marked his 100th T20 International in style, smashing three sixes in the final over to hand West Indies a commanding win over Bangladesh in the series opener on Monday. His late fireworks turned the momentum decisively in the hosts’ favor after a cautious start to the innings.

The West Indies had been hovering around six runs per over for much of their innings, but Powell’s explosive finish — contributing to 31 runs off the last eight balls — helped them post a competitive total that Bangladesh ultimately failed to chase down.

Despite early resistance from the visitors, Bangladesh’s batting faltered under pressure. Losing four of their top five wickets within the first five overs left them struggling for stability. Towhid Hridoy attempted to rebuild the innings, but with the required run rate climbing, he too fell after the halfway mark.

There was a brief flicker of hope for the home side when they scored 31 runs off the 14th and 15th overs, but Jason Holder’s crucial breakthrough — removing Tanzim Hasan in the 16th — crushed any chance of a late revival. With dew settling in, Bangladesh’s inability to keep wickets in hand during the slog overs proved costly.

West Indies’ fielding and bowling units complemented Powell’s batting heroics with a disciplined performance, ensuring a comprehensive win to take a 1–0 lead in the series.

Reflecting on the victory, West Indies skipper Shai Hope credited his team’s execution and adaptability.

“We assessed the conditions better today. Wickets in hand gave us the impetus we needed, and Rovman was excellent in his 100th game. Everyone played their role well,” he said.

Player of the Match Rovman Powell said patience was key to his late surge.

“It was difficult at the start, but I kept believing that one boundary could change things. We needed to take it deep, and having the skipper there till the end helped,” he noted.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh captain Litton Das lamented missed chances and poor execution in the final overs.

“The wicket was on the slower side. If we had taken early wickets, they would have been under pressure. We bowled well overall except for the last over, and that’s something we’ll work on for the next match,” he said.

The two sides will meet again on Wednesday for the second T20I, where Bangladesh will look to bounce back and keep the three-match series alive.