Big picture: The T20 world champions return home
Suryakumar Yadav leads a team that has less experience than Bangladesh in T20Is, but his players are more skilled and versatile than Bangladesh in the format. Suryakumar, Hardik Pandya and Arshdeep Singh are some of India’s most experienced players, but even those who have played less than ten T20Is are stars. New players Mayank Yadav, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Harshit Rana are absentees, while Abhishek Sharma, who made his debut against Zimbabwe in July, has a chance to add to his five T20Is.
The home team also lacks many fast bowlers, which could open up debuts for Mayank Yadav, who hit 150kph for Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL, and Rana, who won IPL 2024 with Kolkata Knight Riders. Allrounders Hardik and Shivam Dube give them seam-bowling support while Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi and the returning Varun Chakravarthy form a special spin group.
As for Bangladesh, who are not playing enough T20Is, this is a big opportunity. From improving their game against the opposition, to having an outside chance of being picked in the IPL, there will be excitement in the visitors’ camp.
Players like Mahmudullah, Mustafizur Rahman, Litton Das, Taskin Ahmed and Mahedi Hasan, all of whom have at least fifty T20Is under their belt, must get their act together for Bangladesh to beat India. Even relative newcomers like Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Rishad Hossain and Tanzid Hasan have a growing reputation. All of this is important once they know who is no longer on their list.
Shakib Al Hasan, Bangladesh’s greatest cricketer, has announced his retirement from Tests and T20Is.
Form guide
India WWWWW (last five T20Is, most recent first)
BangladeshLLLWW
Highlights: Sanju Samson and Rishad Hossain
Team news: Mayank is in the starting lineup
India have a new top order and seam attack as most of the regulars are missing from their T20I squad. Tearaway Mayank will make his debut in Gwalior on Sunday.
India (possible): 1 Abhishek Sharma, 2 Sanju Samson (wk), 3 Suryakumar Yadav (capt), 4 Riyan Parag, 5 Shivam Dube, 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 Rinku Singh, 8 Washington Sundar, 9 Ravi Bishnoi/Varun Chakravarthy, 10 Mayank Yadav, 11 Arshdeep Singh/Harshit Rana
Mehidy Hasan Miraz returns to the Bangladesh T20I squad to play as a batsman. Parvez Hossain Emon can be selected ahead of Tanzid Hasan.
Bangladesh (possible): 1 Litton Das (wk), 2 Parvez Hossain Emon, 3 Tanzid Hasan, 4 Najmul Hossain Shanto (capt), 5 Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 6 Towhid Hridoy, 7 Mahmudullah, 8 Rishad Hossain, 9 Tanzim Hasan Taskin, Ahmed Sakib, 10 11 Mustafizur Rahman
Tone and conditions: Good weather on Sunday evening
The venue is unknown, as it will be the first time in the world at the Shrimant Madhavrao Scindia Cricket Stadium. The teams that batted first in night matches in the last 12 months in India averaged more than 190 runs, with four of the eight teams scoring 200-plus firsts. The weather will likely be slightly cooler than normal heat during the day, Sunday evening.
Math and Trivia
- This is the first international match at Shrimant Madhavrao Scindia Cricket Stadium, located 12km west of Gwalior city. The last match held in the region was in February 2010 when Sachin Tendulkar scored his first double century in ODIs, at the Captain Roop Singh Stadium.
- Bangladesh (644 matches) have a team with more T20I experience than India (389 matches) in this series.
- At 37 years and 180 days, Shakib recently became the oldest cricketer in Bangladesh. Mahmudullah, who is part of this T20 team, is the second-oldest all-rounder in Bangladesh, now playing at the age of 38. Overall, Jahangir Shah is the oldest cricketer from Bangladesh who played an ODI against New Zealand at the age of 41.
Quote
“In this series, you will see our players try to play in a new way. Everyone will play to win. I think the players are not here. [for the series]and four or five others, they will play the 2026 World Cup. So, I think that in this series, our preparations will start well. “
Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto in their first preparations for the next T20 World Cup
Mohammad Isam is ESPNcricinfo’s Bangladesh correspondent. @isam84
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