3 things to look forward to in the 1st India vs Bangladesh T20I ft. Sanju Samson & Abhishek Sharma at the top
Team India are set to embark on another T20I assignment, with Bangladesh being the opponents in question this time. The opening game of the three-match series will be contested in Gwalior on Sunday, October 6.
The venue will host an international match for the first time, making for an interesting storyline. Suryakumar Yadav and Co. have played an exciting brand of cricket since the conclusion of the 2024 T20 World Cup, but they will know that they need to be wary of unknown conditions.
India’s squad for the 3 T20Is against Bangladesh: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Rinku Singh, Hardik Pandya, Riyan Parag, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Tilak Varma, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Mayank Yadav.
On that note, here are three things to watch out for in the first T20I between India and Bangladesh.
#3 India have a new-look combination in Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma
Since the T20I retirements of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill have been earmarked as India's frontline opening combination. Both players have been rested against Bangladesh, giving Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson the chance to make their presence known.
Abhishek already has to a certain extent after smashing a century against Zimbabwe. But both he and Samson have a long way to go if they are to nail down their places in the T20I XI, with plenty of quality contenders in the mix as well.
The duo are aggressive players who don't hang around for long, and it'll be interesting to watch their approach unfold against the Tigers.
#2 How will Gautam Gambhir and company deal with the fresh faces?
India have named three uncapped players in their squad for the Bangladesh T20I series. Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mayank Yadav, and Harshit Rana could make international debuts during the three-match rubber.
Moreover, Varun Chakaravarthy and Jitesh Sharma are back in the T20I picture after seemingly being discarded. Add that to the fact that Abhishek Sharma and Riyan Parag haven't been around for very long, and there are suddenly many fresh faces in the mix.
How Gautam Gambhir and the team management go about handling this will be interesting to see. The Indian Premier League franchises will also have an eye on this, with the retention deadline fast approaching.
#1 Could Mayank Yadav make his debut in Gwalior?
There's one particular fresh face who stands out. If Mayank Yadav is handed a cap in Gwalior, there's a good chance that we might witness the fastest ball ever bowled in Indian colors.
The express quick, who played only a handful of matches in the 2024 Indian Premier League due to injury, has reportedly been working on his match fitness. He is as exciting a talent as India have ever produced, possessing the ability to move the ball at a high pace and hit the deck hard.
Harshit's presence means that Mayank isn't guaranteed to feature, but fans of fast bowling around the world will be licking their lips in anticipation of witnessing history on Sunday.