Najmul Hossain Shanto, the captain of Bangladesh, is positive about his side’s prospects in the forthcoming three-match T20I series against India. According to Shanto, Bangladesh has moved on from the Test series where they lost 2-0 and is ready to play a bold and aggressive style of cricket in the shortest format.
Speaking at a press conference on Friday, prior to the series opener at the newly built Shrimant Madhavrao Scindia Cricket Stadium, Shanto reiterated the fact that his team is ready to take the challenge. “We are looking to win this series, to be very honest. We mean business and want to be competitive,” Shanto said. “In the last World Cup that we participated in, there was a great chance for us to go to the semis, but we failed. This is a new squad, and all the players will perform well and play good cricket in this tournament.”
The Test series of Bangladesh against India concluded in six sessions of play with India winning both Test matches with ease. Nonetheless, Shanto noted that the attention now shifts to T20 cricket, where things are quite different. “We all know we didn’t play our best cricket in the Tests, but we’re not focusing on that. T20 is totally different. Who plays better on that particular day wins. Not about the previous one,” the skipper claimed.
Younger squads are expected from both sides, as a number of senior players will either be left out or will be unavailable. Under Suryakumar Yadav’s captaincy, a completely new Indian squad will take the field, while only five members of Bangladesh’s T20 unit played in the Test series. Thus, providing an opportunity for the younger crop of players from both the countries.
Shanto concedes that this may turn out to be beneficial to Bangladesh considering that T20 cricket can be very unpredictable. “In T20 internationals, it’s anybody’s game. It’s not about the big names or the experienced personnel. The better batting side, bowling side, and fielding side on that day wins. We have to make sure we are on that side,” he said.
The opening clash at the Shrimant Madhavrao Scindia Cricket Stadium has also added to the unpredictability of the match. It is the first time the ground is hosting any international matches, thus no team has much data on how the pitch will perform. On the flip side, however, the compatriots have been working hard during the nets hoping to have some insights on the weather.
“We don’t have much gauge on the wicket, but we’ve had practice sessions to try and see how it plays. Because we need to adapt fast like every other touring side does,” noted Shanto.
Though his team suffered Test losses, Shanto is confident that his team will recover in the T20 series. He acknowledged the need to live in the moment and disagrees with the notion that.
“Bangladesh is a good test playing nation and can play competitive cricket against bigger teams in this format. It’s a crucial series for us. T20 as we all know is dependent on how one plays on that particular day, and we believe we will play to our best.”