Bangladesh vs West Indies Prediction: Who will win today's T20 World Cup 2021 match?

The only two Group 1 teams which haven't registered a win so far in the 2021 T20 World Cup, Bangladesh and West Indies, face off on Friday, October 29 in a virtual eliminator at Sharjah.

Bangladesh have had a tough start to life in the Super 12 stage of the T20 World Cup after scraping through the first round. A defeat to Scotland in the first round was overcome by consecutive victories, but form has deserted them in the Super 12. Losses to Sri Lanka and England have left the Tigers in fifth place, with their only wins of the tournament coming when Shakib Al Hasan came up with single-handed all-round displays.

Meanwhile, West Indies have been a pale shadow of the side which won the title back in 2016. The defending champions' formidable batting lineup - on paper at least - has come a cropper in each of the two games so far, with both South Africa and England exploiting the weaknesses of their big hitters. With everything to lose, the Windies to turn a blind eye to the situation they're in and play as if they have absolutely nothing at stake.

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T20 World Cup 2021: Defending champions hanging on by a thread in cutthroat Group 1

South Africa v West Indies - ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2021

Lendl Simmons' frankly bizarre knock was the biggest reason behind West Indies' loss to South Africa. The opener showed no intent even after he had eaten up almost five overs, eventually walking back after playing the slowest innings by a West Indian in T20I history (min 30 balls). West Indies can't persist with Simmons, and moving the out-of-form Chris Gayle to an opening slot might be the only way to get the most out of the explosive southpaw.

Jason Holder, who recently replaced the injured Obed McCoy in the squad, could also be in line to make the West Indies playing XI. If Kieron Pollard wants another batter capable of anchoring the innings and playing sensibly, Roston Chase might be in the scheme of things. Otherwise, the batters need to show application, something which has been sorely lacking so far in the T20 World Cup.

For Bangladesh, it's a question of striking the right balance in both departments and reducing their over-reliance on Shakib. Liton Das has managed to let his team down in every department in the T20 World Cup, but a lack of proper replacements might force the Tigers into sticking with their opener. Senior players like Mahmudullah and Mushfiqur Rahim need to shoulder batting responsibility, while Mustafizur Rahman needs to break his run of poor form and chip in with a few wickets.

While Bangladesh are a side capable of surprising anyone on their day, they may not have the firepower to beat West Indies. The powerplay is the most crucial phase of the innings in Sharjah, and Bangladesh are neither the quickest batting side nor a potent wicket-taking threat while the field restrictions are in effect. With Evin Lewis in a rich vein of form and several Windies batters due a good showing, the defending champions can be backed to notch up their first win of this year's T20 World Cup.

Prediction: West Indies to win Match 23 of the T20 World Cup