Bangladesh's ongoing challenges with low strike rates and a lack of frequent boundary hitting have been starkly highlighted in the shortest format of cricket. These issues were painfully evident in the first two T20Is of the three-match series against India, where the hosts, despite fielding an inexperienced team, thoroughly dominated the visitors.
In the opening T20I in Gwalior, Bangladesh succumbed to a seven-wicket defeat as India comfortably chased down a target of 128 runs in less than 12 overs. The second match in Delhi saw the Tigers suffer an 86-run loss, managing only 135-9 in response to India's imposing total of 221-9.
The second T20I particularly showcased the disparity in power-hitting abilities. Indian batsmen smashed 15 sixes, taking full advantage of the shorter straight boundaries, while Bangladesh could muster only four, three fewer than India's Nitish Kumar Reddy alone.
This significant difference in six-hitting underscores a deeper problem: the low strike rates of Bangladeshi batsmen.
Looking at the strike rates of Bangladeshi players who have scored at least 300 runs in T20Is, former captain Mashrafe Bin Mortaza, who retired in 2017, leads with a strike rate of 136.10 from 377 runs in 39 innings. No other player even reaches the 130-mark, with Towhid Hridoy (127.25) and another former captain, Mohammad Ashraful (126.40), who last played in 2013, following behind.
In stark contrast, Rinku Singh tops the list for India with an impressive strike rate of 175.09. The top 10 Indian players all boast strike rates above 140, with Rohit Sharma's 140.89 placing him 10th.
To further illustrate the gap, Mashrafe's strike rate ranks 108th globally among players from both full members and associate nations with at least 300 T20I runs.
Bangladesh's lagging performance is not surprising, given the lower strike rates in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), the country's sole franchise-based T20 tournament. None of the 10 BPL editions have seen a tournament strike rate surpass 130, with the 2019-20 edition coming closest at 129.40. The inaugural 2012 edition ranks second with 125.07, indicating little progress over a decade, while the format has evolved significantly worldwide, with this year's IPL strike rate at 150.58.
Unless Bangladeshi batsmen can improve their strike rates, the team's prospects in T20Is will remain bleak, leading to more defeats against stronger teams.