3 things to look forward to in the 2nd India vs Bangladesh T20I ft. a Delhi run-fest
India will face off against Bangladesh in the second T20I of the three-match series on Wednesday, October 9. The contest will be played at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.
India won the first T20I in Gwalior by a comfortable seven-wicket margin and are on the cusp of sealing the series. Given how many fresh faces are in the mix and how both teams are going through respective periods of transition, there are plenty of storylines in play.
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 second T20I between India and Bangladesh.
#3 Could Harshit Rana make his T20I debut?
Arshdeep Singh and Mayank Yadav manned the Indian pace attack in the first T20I against Bangladesh, with the latter making his international debut. Hardik Pandya and Nitish Kumar Reddy also shared six overs between them.
Could we see a change for the second T20I? Mayank only recently recovered from injury, and India might not want to play their express quick in successive games. Arshdeep, meanwhile, was the Player of the Match in the series opener, and the hosts won't be faulted for giving him a breather.
Harshit Rana, whose home ground is the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi, is a prime candidate to make his international debut. He was part of the T20I squad before Mayank and has everything it takes to have a successful career in the format. One of India's most promising talents, the pace bowler could excite all with his potential debut.
#2 The Arun Jaitley Stadium has been a belter lately
The Arun Jaitley Stadium has been a batting paradise lately. The 2024 edition of the Indian Premier League saw the venue throw up 200-plus scores for fun, with even the 250-mark being breached with regularity.
Delhi's true batting wicket and short boundaries are likely to produce another run-fest on Wednesday, and that will be a sight to behold. India, in particular, have plenty of firepower in their ranks, starting at the top with Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson.
Bangladesh, meanwhile, have been vocal about wanting to modify their brand of T20I cricket. Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto and his men will have the perfect opportunity to do that in the second T20I, which will be played at one of the most high-scoring grounds in the world in recent times.
#1 Where will Mahmudullah bat after announcing his retirement?
Mahmudullah, Bangladesh's most-capped T20I player, announced that this series against India will be his last. While he has mostly been a lower-middle order batter, he batted at No. 5 in the opening game of the series and looked uncomfortable against Mayank Yadav's pace during his short stay at the crease.
Shakib Al Hasan is gone, and Mahmudullah will soon be gone too. While he's around, where will the veteran bat? Will we see him go out in a blaze while batting higher up the order? Delhi's pitch will surely entice Bangladesh to go hard with the bat.
Mahmudullah still has something left in the tank and will hope that he can help Bangladesh pull off just their second T20I win against India before hanging up his boots.