Defending Champions India Secure a Convincing 84-run Victory as Bangladesh Faces a Significant Defeat in The ICC U-19 Cricket World Cup.

In their inaugural match of the 16-team ICC U-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup ’24 at Bloemfontein in South Africa, Bangladesh, a former champion, faced a significant 84-run loss against the defending champions India on Saturday night.
 
In the debut encounter at JB Marks Oval in Potchefstroom on Friday, South Africa, the hosting team, initiated the tournament on a positive note by defeating West Indies by a margin of 31 runs. Simultaneously, in another opening day fixture at Mangaung Oval in Bloemfontein, Ireland secured a seven-wicket victory against the United States.

During the day’s matchup, Mahfuzur Rahman Rabby, the accomplished left-arm spinner and captain, who had recently steered the Bangladesh team to their inaugural U-19 Asia Cup triumph, assumed leadership by winning the coin toss. Opting for a strategic move, he chose to have India take the batting stance first in the encounter.
 
Opting to bat first, India posted a reassuring total of 251 runs, losing seven wickets within the allotted 50 overs. Opener Adarsh Singh contributed 76 runs, while the captain and middle-order batsman Uday Saharan added 64 runs to the team’s score.
 
Afterward, Adarsh Singh was named the player of the match.
 
Among the Bangladeshi bowlers, Maruf Mridha achieved success by taking five wickets for 43 runs in eight overs, including a maiden.
In response to India’s imposing total, the Bangladesh team was dismissed for 167 runs in 45.5 overs, with Shihab James and Ariful Islam emerging as the primary contributors, scoring 54 and 41 runs, respectively.
 
Saumy Pandey claimed four wickets for Bangladesh, giving away 24 runs in 9.5 overs, including a maiden over.

In another match of the day, England secured a seven-wicket victory against Scotland on Saturday.

The 2020 champions, Bangladesh, positioned in Group A alongside India, the United States, and Ireland, are scheduled to face Ireland on January 22 at Mangaung Oval in Bloemfontein and the United States on January 26 at the same venue in their remaining group stage fixtures.