Nidahas Trophy went with a six

How Dinesh Karthik won the Nidahas Trophy

The 18th over bowled by Mustafizur Rahman in the final of the Nidahas Trophy,  2018 put India under immense pressure. Vijay Shankar failed to connect with any of his swings, and Manish Pandey got out off the ball. At the end of it, India needed 34 runs from the final two overs.

And then Dinesh Karthik enters in 18.1 overs, India need 34 of 12. Rubel to D.K,

1st - 6
2nd - 4
3rd - 6
4th - 0
5th - 2
6th - 4

Rubel who has bowled so well in the tournament, has gone for 22 in the penultimate over.

Now, 5 off 1 required, the final ball has came, Soumya Sakar to Karthik, and the ball is in the air which gone and finally landed out of the boundary, yes! that's a six. The Indians are piling on him. Let him breath, lads. There's kisses, cuddling, hugs and what not for DK. Look at Soumya Sarkar, he is in tears and is inconsolable. A couple of Bangladeshis in the dugout are in tears as well. DK has won the Nidahas Trophy single-handedly. How cool was DK though! A flat six over extra cover. Skimmed over the rope. But this game is about margins inches will do. Soumya Sarkar who had done really well till then, suddenly lost the plot and served up an over pitched delivery outside off, DK crashed that lofted drive and this shot will be etched in every Indian's memory.

Tri series maybe the future of T20

The final of the Nidahas Trophy was played before a loud crowd with the stadium at least two third full despite the absence of the home team Sri Lanka. A common fear for country is hosting tri series is that game between neutral steam will be a hard shell. The atmosphere at the R Premadasa was in part fuelled by a resentment among the Sri Lanka supporters of the Bangladesh team after an exuberant celebration at the conclusion of an ill tempered final League game and effective knockout out ties against Sri Lanka. Most of the home fans cheer for India in the final. But the attendance was also prove that a final will always be a draw for viewers and will give likes to the idea that tri series are the future of T20 International.

Don't need big names for big excitement

One of the hurdles in organising a tri series is that it is hard to find space in the crowded cricket calendar for 3 teams in did the Nidahas Trophy came at an awkward time for India. They had complete a long tour of South Africa just 10 day before the start of the tournament with the Indian Premier League a little more than two weeks after the final.

There are still several of their biggest names including Virat Kohli MS Dhoni Bhuvneshwar Kumar and jasprit bumrah leading to a subdued build up to the tournament in India. Intas top 50 over cricket and absence of so many key players may be adversely affected the quality of cricket on show but with the number of T20 specialist country now seem to have it is not as much of an issue in the format. That the Nidahas Trophy provided the entertainment it did well perhaps encourage boards to schedule T20 tri series even during periods when they know team main at some of their players.

Was Washington Sundar proved finger spin has a place in T20?

Off the top 15 T20 bowlers in the ICC ranking 7 hour wrist spinners. The accepted theory is that list spinner with their variation and unpredictability are more likely to make the batsman failed and execution. But the performance of the Washington Sundar may have given India a selection headache. He considered at less than 6 and over through the tournament and took 8 wickets earning the man of the series award. And he manage this while bowling 13 off his 20 overs in the power play.

What is stood out about Sundar was his ability to read when batsman we're going to attend the big short and then deceive them by changing up the pace or line. Adjust 18 he has announced himself as perhaps India's best finger spin option in the limited were formats.

The Ghost of 2016 is exorcised and then returns to haunt Bangladesh

Almost 2 year ago Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah we are guilty of celebrating too early as Bangladesh do with one run of India's score in a crunch World T20 match in Bengaluru only to lose 3 wickets in 3 ball and crash out of the tournament.

In the Nidahas Trophy Bangladesh where faced with 3 more tense ending. In the first Rahim held his nerve against Sri Lanka to take his side home with 2 balls to spare. In the second mahmudullah kept his cool through argument and his captain threatening to pull his batsman of the field to hit a six of the games penultimate ball. But in the final against India Bangladesh once again squandered a winning position leaking 34 runs of the last 2 overs. It seems India still have the physiological as over them in the Death.