Former Indian cricketer Suresh Raina mentioned that Bangladesh should not be underestimated because they have a strong bowling team. He said this as India gets ready for the upcoming series, which will serve as a warm-up before the Border Gavaskar Trophy. Raina made these comments during a Legends League Cricket event in Delhi on Thursday. When talking to ANI, Raina said, “A new Test team will be created. It’s a good move by the BCCI to have top players participate in the Duleep Trophy. Playing red-ball cricket helps you learn a lot.”
He further added, “Bangladesh has a strong spin bowling attack and some talented players who have been successful for a long time. This series will be a good practice for the trip to Australia.”
The Duleep Trophy kicks off the season of red-ball cricket in India, bringing together top national players and promising newcomers to compete at the highest level. The competition is scheduled to start on September 5, 2024, in Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh, and at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
Prominent Indian batsmen such as Rishabh Pant, Kishan, Shubman Gill, and several others are expected to participate in the Duleep Trophy for the 2024-25 season.
Additionally, India will host a two-match series against Bangladesh from September 19 to October 1. Bangladesh’s spin bowlers, including Shakib Al Hasan, Taijul Islam, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, and Mahedi Hasan, might be part of this series. The Indian team for this tour has not yet been announced.
After this, there will be a three-game series against New Zealand from October 16 to November 5. These two series will help India get ready for the Border Gavaskar Trophy later this year.
Talking about Indian wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant’s performance in the ICC T20 World Cup, Raina praised Pant for his “passion, hard work, mentality, and great determination”.
“The way he practices, he is doing very good wicket-keeping, he has batted very well, and when you win the World Cup, you know how much fun it is,” Raina added.
Pant was the third-highest run-scorer for India in their T20 World Cup victory. He scored 171 runs at an average of 24.42 in eight matches and also helped with his skills behind the stumps with 14 dismissals, the most by a wicketkeeper in a single T20 World Cup edition. His important performances helped India end their 13-year-long ICC World Cup drought.
Regarding the upcoming Impact Player rule in the Indian Premier League (IPL) next year, Raina mentioned that this rule introduces significant changes to the game by allowing an additional batter or bowler on the team. He personally prefers the traditional style of cricket with 11 players.
The Legends League Cricket is scheduled to take place in India and Qatar from September 11 to October 5 this year.
