In what could be a potential series decider, India will face Bangladesh in the second T20I of the three-match series at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on Wednesday, 9 October.
After their win in Gwalior, the Indian team will be riding high on confidence as they look to seal the series in Delhi. As they experienced in Chennai and Kanpur during the Test series, the heat in the capital city will be a factor. However, that won’t stop the Men in Blue from giving their absolute best as they aim for another comprehensive win, much like their performance in the first T20I. It was a clinical victory, with the bowlers setting the stage before quick cameos from all the batters made light work of the run chase.
All eyes will be on India’s selection. Will they test their bench strength by giving chances to Ravi Bishnoi, Jitesh Sharma, and Tilak Varma, or will they stick with the same playing XI? The team’s objectives for this series will become clearer by the end. One thing is certain: India will aim to play more aggressive cricket and seal the series in Delhi, rather than leaving it to a decider.
Meanwhile, the Bangla Tigers will be keen to bounce back, with Delhi likely to offer a high-scoring match based on recent games. However, given the amount of cricket Bangladesh plays at home, they are less familiar with flat pitches and lack the power hitters both at the top and in the slog overs to post a big total.
After the first T20I, captain Najmul Hossain Shanto highlighted that his team isn’t accustomed to scoring 180 runs, as they typically play on 140-150 run pitches at home. He emphasised the need to improve their batting in the powerplay, a crucial aspect of T20 cricket. Their fast bowlers struggled, which could lead to Tanzim Hasan Sakib being included in the playing XI.
Mahmudullah has announced that this will be his last T20I series. Bangladesh will be hoping to give him a memorable farewell by winning the final two matches and the series, but they will need to perform exceptionally well to achieve that.
India Squad: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Rinku Singh, Hardik Pandya, Riyan Parag, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Mayank Yadav, Tilak Varma.
Bangladesh Squad: Najmul Hossain Shanto (c), Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Parvez Hossain Emon, Towhid Hridoy, Mahmudullah, Litton Kumer Das, Jaker Ali Anik, Mehidy Hassan Miraz, Shak Mahedi Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman, Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Rakibul Hasan.