3 things to look forward to in the 3rd India vs Bangladesh T20I ft. Harshit Rana's potential debut
Team India are set to take on Bangladesh in the third and final T20I at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Saturday, October 12. Having already sealed the three-match series by winning the first two encounters, the home side will be keen on resting and rotating.
India have plenty of talent in their squad, with four players yet to feature in the series so far. Bangladesh, meanwhile, have a veteran who's on the last leg of his international career and will be keen on signing off on a high. There are plenty of storylines to watch out for as the final game of the series unfolds.
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 third T20I between India and Bangladesh.
#3 Harshit Rana's T20I debut could be on the cards
One of the players who could enter the fray for the third T20I is Harshit Rana, who is yet to make his international debut despite being part of the last few white-ball squads. The fast bowler has also been selected as a traveling reserve for the upcoming India-New Zealand Test series, meaning he is well and truly in the selectors' plans across formats.
Harshit was expected to make his T20I debut on his home ground of Delhi in the previous game, but it didn't transpire as Mayank Yadav and Arshdeep Singh were trusted instead. Signs indicate that he could finally make his bow in the format on Saturday.
An immensely talented player who is remarkably well-rounded for his age, Harshit will be one to watch out for in the future.
#2 Can Mahmudullah sign off on a high?
Bangladesh's most capped T20I player will bow out on Saturday, with Mahmudullah set to play his last international game for the country. Despite being the oldest player in the side by far (38), he has been one of the brightest spots in the lineup, striking three sixes in the second T20I in Delhi.
Mahmudullah's form has been impressive in the latter half of his career in both white-ball formats, and he will be keen on signing off on a positive note. The veteran batter remained unbeaten (15 off 7) in Bangladesh's only T20I win over India to date and will have an eye on replicating the feat in a potential fairytale finish.
Either way, Mahmudullah needs to be applauded for a stellar career while playing for a side that wasn't fancied to win many trophies or even international matches.
#1 The Indian top order, and Riyan Parag, will be in the spotlight
India's top three, Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, and Suryakumar Yadav, have gotten off to starts in both games thus far. But none of the trio have managed to convert their starts into big scores that can take India to a mammoth total. In the third T20I, they will look to change that fact.
Abhishek, who loves playing at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, will be keen on sustaining his aggression through the powerplay. Samson, who has received the backing of the coaching staff, will need to play a big knock if he is to nail down his spot in the squad. Suryakumar has been so consistent over the last three years that it's hard to see him go an entire series without a half-century to his name.
Meanwhile, Riyan Parag, who has barely got to spend time in the middle in the series so far, might receive a promotion in the batting order. If that happens, how he fares will be watched closely since he is a player of immense pedigree.