After their disappointing Test series, Bangladesh is determined to adopt a fresh approach as they face hosts India in the first match of the three-game T20 International series tomorrow (October 6) in Gwalior.

The match is scheduled to start at 7:30 PM (Bangladesh time).

"You’ll see a new approach from us in this series. Every player will play with the mindset of winning," Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto said during a press conference yesterday in Gwalior.

Bangladesh enters the T20 series following a 2-0 sweep in the Test series. In the first Test, they were thoroughly outplayed, losing by 280 runs in Chennai. The second Test, despite being shortened to less than two and a half days due to bad weather, saw Bangladesh suffer from a seven-wicket defeat with a session and a half remaining.

These back-to-back defeats meant Bangladesh continues to struggle in Test matches against India, remaining winless in the longer format.

Bangladesh's T20 record against India is also concerning, having lost 13 of the 14 encounters. However, their sole victory came on Indian soil during their last tour in 2019, when they won the opening match in Delhi but lost the subsequent two games in Rajkot and Nagpur, ending the series 2-1 in India’s favor.

Despite the Test setbacks, Bangladesh remains hopeful of securing a T20 series win. India’s T20 team is undergoing a transition following the retirements of star players Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. While most of Bangladesh's Test players are included in the T20 squad, none of India's Test players have been named in their T20 squad.

Shanto emphasized that this series marks the beginning of Bangladesh’s preparations for the 2026 T20 World Cup.

"I believe several more players, apart from the current squad, will join us, and they could be key for the 2026 World Cup. Our preparations truly begin with this series," he said.

"From now on, every T20I series will be approached with the 2026 World Cup in mind. We have 15 players in this squad, and there are four or five more outside of it. Together, this core group of 20-22 players will form the foundation of our World Cup preparations."

This series will also see Bangladesh moving forward without their star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan, who recently retired from T20 cricket. Mehidy Hasan Miraz has been brought in to fill Shakib’s role, and Shanto expressed confidence in his ability to step up.

"Shakib bhai has been with us for so long that adjusting to life without him will take some time," Shanto admitted. "It’s not a huge adjustment, but it does create some challenges for our playing XI. He offered a unique balance of batting and bowling. We've brought in Miraz, and we hope he’ll quickly adapt to the role Shakib left behind."

Bangladesh Squad:
Najmul Hossain Shanto (C), Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Parvez Hossain Emon, Towhid Hridoy, Mahmudullah Riyad, Liton Das, Jaker Ali Anik, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Mahedi Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman, Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Rakibul Hasan.

India Squad:
Suryakumar Yadav (C), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Rinku Singh, Hardik Pandya, Riyan Parag, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Mayank Yadav.

BDST: 1334 HRS, OCT 05, 2024
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