India travel to Bangladesh with focus on the T20 World Cup: Both teams are coming off home series losses to Australia and will be looking to fine-tune their plans for the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh in September-October.
The last timeT20 World Cup, these two teams met in Bangladesh, it was pretty bad, with Harmanpreet Kaur breaking the stumps and criticizing the “sad decision” of the umpire and the “attitude” of home captain Nigar Sultana. Nine months later, the bigger picture is the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh this September-October, as India and Bangladesh begin their preparations with a five-match T20 series in Sylhet from Sunday.
India travel to Bangladesh with focus on the T20 World Cup
Heading towards the T20 World Cup
Bangladesh were beaten 3-0 at home by Australia a couple of weeks ago and despite that loss, they didn’t make too many changes to their squad for the series. India’s last T20 series was also lost 2-1 to Australia in December-January, where seniors like Harmanpreet and Smriti Mandhana put in outstanding performances. However, several Indian internationals have returned to form in the 2024 WPL, and with some new names in the mix, they will hope to carry that momentum into international cricket as well. Both teams will be keen to test and find their ideal combination in these five T20Is before heading to Sri Lanka for the Asia Cup in July ahead of the T20 World Cup later this year.
Bangladesh batting struggle in T20 World Cup
Bangladesh batting needs to improve if they want to give India a fight. In the recent series against Australia, they scored 126 for 4, 103 for 9 and 78 all out. Only their captain Sultana was consistent with a half century of 96 runs in three innings, though it came at a strike rate of 91.42. The second best batsman for Bangladesh was Fahima Khatun, 53 runs. Bangladesh made just one change to Australia’s playing squad with wicketkeeper-batsman Rubia Haider, who featured in the three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka last year, replacing the uncapped Farzana Akhtar. The hosts will need top-order batsmen like Fargana Haque, Shobna Mostari and Rubia to provide a solid foundation before Sultana takes the field.
Can India’s top order improve in Sylhet?
The last time India toured Bangladesh in July 2023, they had a disappointing top three series. Shefali Verma scored 30 runs, Smriti Mandhana 52 and Jemimah Rodriguez 47 runs in three matches. Rodriguez will miss the series with a back injury. As for recent form, both openers have enjoyed excellent WPL, with Shafali the third highest run-getter with 309 runs in nine matches at a strike rate of 156.85 and Mandhana with 300 runs in ten matches at 133.92. With Richa Ghosh preferred as the team’s first-choice keeper, Yastika Bhatia can play at number 3 as a pure batsman. He scored 204 runs in eight games at 121.42 as an opener for Mumbai Indians in the WPL. India will believe their top three are well prepared this time.
WPL stars and plenty of problems
India probably has many problems. Legspinner S Asha and spin-bowling all-rounder S Sajna earned first-ever international call-ups on the back of their WPL performances after years of hard work on the domestic circuit. Asha, 33, became the first Indian to take five wickets in the WPL and ended the season as the second-highest wicket-taker (12). Royal Challengers Bangalore is playing an important role in winning the title. Sajana was one of Mumbai’s breakout stars with her big-hitting prowess. Left-arm spinner Radha Yadav returned to the India team after a year, after a brilliant spell for Delhi Capitals, picking up ten wickets at an economy rate of 7.48 in nine matches. With Deepti Sharma and Shreyanka Patil being the first choice spinners, it remains to be seen how India will retain Asha, Radha and Saika Isaacs in the XI. To accommodate Sajna in the lower-middle order, India may even have to bench Amanjat Kaur.
Pitch and condition of Sylhet
The last T20 series between the two teams was held entirely in Dhaka. India fielded three spinners and two seamers, with Shafali and Rodriguez as part-timers providing more overs spin. Bangladesh played a spin-heavy attack with only one pacer Marufa Akhtar. This time all five T20s are in Sylhet, from 3.30 pm local time. The venue recently hosted the men’s three-T20 series between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in March, where the average score was 177 and four of the top five bowlers were fast bowlers. Expect some help from the seamers early but both teams can rely on the spinners for wickets. India have played two T20Is against Bangladesh at this venue and both times they scored more than 150 and restricted the hosts to 100 or less.