India and Bangladesh are set to clash in a five-match T20I series in Sylhet, starting Sunday, as both teams prepare for the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh later this year.
Bangladesh, who were thrashed 3-0 by Australia at home recently, will be looking to improve their batting, which struggled against the Aussies. Captain Nigar Sultana was the only consistent performer, scoring 96 runs in three innings. The hosts will need top-order batters such as Fargana Hoque, Sobhana Mostary, and Rubya Haider to provide a solid foundation.
India, on the other hand, will be hoping to carry the momentum from the 2024 WPL into international cricket. Several of their international players got back to form in the tournament, including openers Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana. With some new names in the mix, India will be keen to experiment and find their ideal combinations before the T20 World Cup.
One of the key problems for India will be how to accommodate all their talented spinners. Legspinner S Asha and spin-bowling allrounder S Sajana have earned maiden international call-ups on the back of their WPL performance, while Radha Yadav has returned to the squad after a year. With Deepti Sharma and Shreyanka Patil being the first-choice spinners, it remains to be seen how India squeeze in Asha, Radha, and Saika Ishaque in the XI.
The pitch and conditions in Sylhet are expected to assist the seamers initially, but both teams might still bank on spinners for wickets. India have played two T20Is against Bangladesh at this venue, and both times, they scored 150-plus and restricted the hosts to 100 or below.
