Pace sensation Mayank Yadav is expected to unleash his raw speed while the absence of India’s T20I regulars will provide another opportunity to the fringe players in the three-match series against Bangladesh, beginning here on Sunday.
Having consistently generated speed in excess of 150kmph in his maiden Indian Premier League (IPL) campaign earlier this year, Mayank had drawn the attention of the cricketing world before a side strain ruled him out of the tournament.
Usually, one has to prove fitness in domestic cricket to be considered for national selection, but the 22-year-old has been fast-tracked into the side considering his special talent.
The series against Bangladesh will be a test of his fitness and temperament. It remains to be seen if he can display the same accuracy and control that he exhibited in the IPL.
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Besides Mayank, fellow Delhi pacer Harshit Rana and all-rounder Nitish Kumar could also make their India debuts over the course of the series.
Nitish was picked for the Zimbabwe tour post the T20 World Cup but got injured while Harshit did not get to play in the five-match series in Harare.
With Tests against New Zealand given preference, Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Mohammed Siraj and Axar Patel have been rested from the T20Is against Bangladesh.
Skipper Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya are the two big names in the squad, while the other two who were part of the triumphant World Cup unit here are Shivam Dube and Arshdeep Singh.
The break to the regulars will give an opportunity to the likes of Abhishek Sharma, who hit a hundred in Zimbabwe, to build their credentials. Sanju Samson could get to open alongside the southpaw in the series opener.
Riyan Parag has got six T20Is since July but he could not replicate the sizzling form he showed in IPL 2024. The Bangladesh games give him another chance to make a strong impact.
The series will mark the comeback of mystery spinner Varun Chakaravarthy, whose international career came to an abrupt halt following the disastrous 2021 T20 World Cup in the UAE. The other specialist spinner in the squad is Ravi Bishnoi.
Jitesh Sharma, who has been picked as the reserve wicket-keeper, has not played since the IPL in June. The Vidarbha cricketer has not done much to write home about in the nine T20Is he has been part of. He will be desperate to get a game.
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The three games will serve as an audition for the four T20s in South Africa next month, with the majority of the T20 regulars remaining unavailable due to the proximity of the Australia Tests, starting from November 22.
The series will also provide the IPL franchises with more clarity on the Indian players they want to retain ahead of the mega auction.
Bangladesh starts life without Shakib
It is almost impossible to fill the shoes of someone like Shakb Al Hasan but Bangladesh will have to plan life without the champion all-rounder. Shakib recently announced his retirement from Tests and T20s, leaving a huge void in the team.
Bangladesh was outplayed in the preceding Test series but with the majority of the T20 players not part of those two games, they won’t be carrying any baggage into the white-ball leg of the tour.
Off-spinner Mehidy Hasan Miraz has been recalled to the side after 14 months. Veteran batter Mahmudullah stands at the crossroads of his career and a productive series against the world champion might give him an extra dose of motivation to continue.
International cricket returns to Gwalior after 14 years
Shrimant Madhavrao Scindia Stadium, build on the outskirts of the city, will make its international debut on Sunday. Organising an international match in a smaller centre does have its fair share of challenges but the Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association (MPCA) is ready despite a few hiccups.
A wall on the periphery of the stadium had caved in last month following unusually heavy rains in the region, but it has been repaired.
The Captain Roop Singh Stadium in the city had hosted Gwalior’s last international match in 2010, when Sachin Tendulkar smashed a famous double-hundred.
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