Pace sensation Mayank Yadav is expected to showcase his raw pace while the absence of India’s T20 regulars will provide another chance to the fringe players in the three-match series against Bangladesh starting here on Sunday. Mayank, who consistently produced speeds of over 150 kmph in his IPL debut earlier this year, caught the attention of the cricket world before being ruled out of the tournament due to a side strain. Usually, one has to prove fitness in domestic cricket to be eligible for national selection, but the 22-year-old has been swiftly included in the squad given his special talent.
The series against Bangladesh will be a test of his fitness and temperament. It is yet to be found out whether he will be able to display the same accuracy and control that he displayed in the IPL.
Apart from Mayank, fellow Delhi fast bowler Harshit Rana and all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy may also make their debut for India during the series.
Nitish was selected for the Zimbabwe tour after the T20 World Cup but he got injured while Harshit did not get a chance to play in the five-match series in Harare.
With the Test against New Zealand a priority, Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Mohammed Siraj and Axar Patel have been rested from the T20 against Bangladesh.
Captain Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya are the two big names in the team, while the only other member of the victorious World Cup unit is fast bowler Arshdeep Singh.
All-rounder Shivam Dubey has been ruled out of the series due to injury. According to information received from sources, it seems that Dubey suffered a back injury before reporting for the national assignment in Gwalior.
As the big-bodied Mumbaikar prepares for intensive rehabilitation at the NCA, talented Mumbai Indians southpaw Tilak Verma has been called up for the series and he will join the squad on Sunday as per a BCCI press release.
The break to the regular players will give players like Abhishek Sharma a chance to build his reputation at the top of the order after his century in Zimbabwe. Sanju Samson may get a chance to open with the southpaw in the opening match of the series.
Riyan Parag has got a chance to play six T20s since July, but he could not repeat the great form he showed in IPL 2024. The Bangladesh games give him another chance to make a strong impact.
This series will mark the return of mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy, whose international career came to an abrupt halt after a disappointing 2021 T20 World Cup in the UAE. The other specialist spinner in the team is Ravi Bishnoi.
Jitesh Sharma, who has been selected as the reserve wicketkeeper, has not played since the IPL in June. This Vidarbha cricketer has not done anything special to write about in those nine T20 matches. He’ll be desperate to get a game.
These three matches will serve as auditions for the four T20Is to be held in South Africa next month, with most of the T20 regulars unavailable due to the proximity of the Australia Tests starting on November 22. This series will also provide more clarity to the IPL franchises. They want to retain Indian players before the mega auction.
Bangladesh started life without Shakib Al Hasan!
It is almost impossible to replace a player like Shakab Al Hasan but Bangladesh will have to plan for life without the champion all-rounder. Shakib recently announced his retirement from Tests and T20Is, leaving a big void in the team.
Bangladesh lost the previous Test series, but most of the T20 players were not part of those two matches, so they will not have to carry any burden in the white-ball phase of the tour.
Off-spinner Mehdi Hasan Miraz has been recalled to the team after 14 months. Veteran batsman Mahmood Ullah is at the crossroads of his career and a fruitful series against the world champions could give him an extra dose of motivation to continue.
International cricket returns to Gwalior after 14 years
The Shrimant Madhavrao Scindia Stadium, built on the outskirts of the city, will make its international debut on Sunday. There are a lot of challenges in organizing an international match in a small venue but the host MPCA is ready despite some hurdles.
A wall on the stadium’s perimeter collapsed after unusually heavy rain in the area last month but has been repaired.
The city’s Captain Roop Singh Stadium hosted Gwalior’s last international match in 2010 when Sachin Tendulkar scored the famous double century.
Teams: Bangladesh: Nazmul Hossain Shanto (captain), Tanzeed Hasan Tamim, Parvez Hossain Emon, Tauheed Hridoy, Mahmood Ullah, Liton Kumer Das, Jakar Ali Anik, Mehdi Hasan Miraj, Shaq Mahedi Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman, Taskin Ahmed. Shoriful Islam, Tanzeem Hasan Saqib, Rakibul Hasan.
India’s squad for 3 T20 matches against Bangladesh: Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper), Rinku Singh, Hardik Pandya, Riyan Parag, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Tilak Verma, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Varun Chakraborty, Jitesh Sharma (wicketkeeper), Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Mayank Yadav.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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