India and Bangladesh enjoy an intense rivalry in all forms of cricket, making their meetings always an eventful occasion.
India’s bowlers have given Bangladesh a run for its money so far this series. Axar Patel and Shivam Dube have made early inroads while Jasprit Bumrah continues his impressive performance.
India: Virat Kohli
Kohli stands as one of India’s greatest batsmen ever seen on Indian cricket’s pitch and can be a daunting opponent to opposition bowlers. Hailing from Delhi, Kohli has carved out his place across all formats – often drawing comparisons to great Sachin Tendulkar. With an indomitable bottom-hand grip he can smash any ball to any part of the ground; also adept at building big totals in one-day internationals (ODI).
Kohli made his Test debut in 2011 and quickly established himself as a top-order batsman. In 2013 on tour in South Africa he led India to victory and then in Australia in 2014 became the first Indian captain ever to claim such an achievement.
He is undisputedly one of the greatest batsmen in world cricket right now, both ODIs and T20Is alike. RCB captain him currently, boasting an outstanding record during Indian Premier League competition – in his most recent match against Bangladesh he struck an astonishing century off 52 balls, helping RCB secure victory!
Rishabh Pant
Rishabh Pant is an exciting left-handed wicket-keeper batsman from Adam Gilchrist’s school of cricket, emerging onto the national scene when he lit up the 2016 Under-19 World Cup against Nepal and Namibia with an electrifying display that made headlines around the globe. At 20 years old he’s an uncompromising attacker whose style makes for exciting watching; especially during Test cricket matches where his antics make for enjoyable viewing.
After an impressive Indian T20 League season in 2020, Pant was selected by the BCCI to lead Delhi Capitals during IPL 2024. Unfortunately, due to an accident he experienced in December 2022 which required hospitalisation, Pant had to take time away before rejoining IPL 2024 leaner and fitter but still maintained his aggressive batting style.
Bangladesh are in India to play the first of two Tests against them and have been buoyed by Nahid’s performances in Pakistan. Bangladesh are determined to change past performances against India and not lose games during the series, especially against an improved Indian side that can deliver bowls at more than 150kmph speed. Bangladesh must improve execution to compete effectively against an increasingly capable India side that can throw hundreds of pitches per hour.
Hardik Pandya
Hardik Pandya first encountered the jeers of Ahmedabad stadium during the opening week of 2024 IPL when playing for Gujarat Titans against Mumbai Indians on March 24. These criticisms, even at home ground venues like their home stadium of Ahmedabad Stadium, could not have been misconstrued; Hardik had recently returned from Koffee with Karan controversy after making racist and sexist comments that caused his dismissal for several months.
Pandya delivered on both counts that India had long desired, making a crucial contribution in propelling them back onto top in T20 cricket. His performance earned him top billing on the ICC rankings for T20I all-rounders; an achievement which he further cemented with some devastating hits against South Africa during World Cup final.
Indian cricket fans will always remember his incredible run on Thursday at Wankhede, as he hit two runs off three balls to help seal India’s first World Cup championship since 2007. His performance will go down in history as one of a modern cricketer who can strike with force, roll his arm over safely, and thrives as an energetic livewire on the field.
Ravindra Jadeja
Ravindra Jadeja has quickly established himself as one of the finest left-arm spinners worldwide since making his debut and is now an integral member of India across all formats. Additionally, he is an established performer for Chennai Super Kings where he captained their side in 2022.
He can turn a match around with his bowling and batsmanship, being both hard-hitting and responsible in challenging conditions. At 31 years old, this player can prove instrumental.
Jadeja boasts over 5000 runs in international cricket and can always be counted upon to add useful runs in the latter overs. His bowling ability makes some of the toughest catches seem simple.
He recently eclipsed Anil Kumble and Yuvraj Singh’s record of 15 wickets in one World Cup match against The Netherlands with his performance against them on Sunday, as well as being an exceptional fielder, taking 136 catches throughout his international cricket career.
Kuldeep Yadav
Kuldeep Yadav is one of the world’s most captivating bowlers. Using various variations and his lethal googly, his unique style leaves batters struggling to pick him out. Additionally, his mastery of slowing his pace reduces batter reaction time and heightens difficulty scoring against him.
Left-arm wrist spinner ‘Chinaman’ first rose to fame at the 2014 Under-19 World Cup where he established himself as India’s highest wicket-taker. Following this impressive showing he made both first-class and List A debuts for Uttar Pradesh before playing in Champions League Twenty20 2014. In 2016, Chinaman impressed in Duleep Trophy by taking 17 wickets across three matches, leading him towards national selection soon thereafter.
White-ball cricket has seen him even more effective, forming a formidable partnership with Yuzvendra Chahal – or Kul-Cha — who have been dismantling top batting orders across formats. Additionally, he’s shown himself capable of bowling effectively in Test matches while building up an impressive T20I track record.
Jasprit Bumrah
With his unorthodox sling arm action and ability to deliver pinpoint yorkers, Bumrah has quickly won over cricket fans around the globe. After suffering an injury during 2015 domestic cricket season he made an immediate comeback during 2016 domestic cricket season and now stands as an integral member of India Cricket Team.
His reputation lies in taking control of conditions and bowling efficiently despite any obstacles presented to him, such as against Ireland where he conceded only six runs over three overs while picking up two wickets – something which was repeated against Afghanistan to give India an important edge in both matches.
Bumrah has an incredible ability to hit batsmen square in the blockhole, and just like Lasith Malinga from Mumbai Indians has perfected the art of using short balls precisely and strategically. So far in this World Cup tournament alone he has taken 15 wickets while conceding only 7 fours and one six!
Mohammed Siraj
Mohammed Siraj is ready to face the challenge of representing India against Bangladesh in their first Test match after impressing in the Indian T20 league. With Jasprit Bumrah having sustained an injury, right-arm seamer Mohammed Siraj could replace him in the squad.
He has steadily progressed within the Indian team, playing for Hyderabad, India Green and Sunrisers Hyderabad respectively. Additionally, he is an integral member of India’s domestic circuit, excelling both during powerplays and death overs.
Siraj is a self-made cricketer from a financially-strained background. Before his first cricketing debut, Siraj used to drive an auto-rickshaw. It was his older brother who first encouraged him to try his hand at cricket.
Siraj was named to India’s T20 squad for their home series against New Zealand in 2017. He earned his recall after an impressive IPL season and T20I performance in UAE conditions, taking his maiden T20 wicket against Kiwi captain Kane Williamson en route.
Yuzvendra Chahal
Yuzvendra Chahal is a gifted leg-spinner who represents India internationally in cricket matches as well as Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League. With an exceptional chess player’s mind and one of the finest leg break bowlers worldwide, Chahal has also represented his country at youth levels in international chess competitions.
Chahal has quickly adjusted to international cricket, adapting quickly to its demands while showing his resilience under pressure. Capable of performing across both shorter formats of the game, he forms an essential component of our spin department.
Chahal has struggled with the inconsistency that often befalls spinners, being dropped from national squad in both 2021 and 2022 despite performing brilliantly for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). Nonetheless, Chahal managed to overcome these setbacks, showing that form can change but class cannot. As such he will likely feature for India at the World Cup alongside Kuldeep Yadav and Ravichandran Ashwin. If you want to know more about sports like: football, cricket, kabaddi, polo and many more just follow us: https://sportsadda.co.uk/