In the opening T20I between India and Bangladesh at the New Madhavrao Scindia Cricket Stadium in Gwalior, India captain Suryakumar Yadav won the toss and elected to bowl first.
India, fresh off their 2-0 Test series sweep over Bangladesh, will be aiming to maintain their momentum in this T20 series under the leadership of Yadav.
The match is notable for the debut of two Indian players—Mayank Yadav, a pacer from Delhi, and all-rounder Nitish Reddy. Former India cricketers Dinesh Karthik and Parthiv Patel handed them their maiden caps, with Karthik presenting it to Mayank and Parthiv to Nitish.
After opting to bowl, Suryakumar Yadav mentioned that the humidity could influence the game, and he believes the pitch won’t change much during the contest. He expressed excitement about playing in front of the Gwalior crowd and noted that a few regular players like Tilak Varma, Ravi Bishnoi, Nitish Rana, and Jitesh Sharma missed out on the playing XI.
Bangladesh skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto admitted he would have also preferred to bowl first, citing the freshness of his team and their hard work over the last few months. The Bangladesh lineup includes three seamers and two spinners, indicating a balanced approach to both pace and spin.
India:
- Abhishek Sharma
- Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper)
- Suryakumar Yadav (captain)
- Nitish Reddy
- Hardik Pandya
- Riyan Parag
- Rinku Singh
- Washington Sundar
- Varun Chakravarthy
- Arshdeep Singh
- Mayank Yadav
Bangladesh:
- Litton Das (wicketkeeper)
- Najmul Hossain Shanto (captain)
- Parvez Hossain Emon
- Towhid Hridoy
- Mahmudullah
- Jaker Ali
- Mehidy Hasan Miraz
- Rishad Hossain
- Taskin Ahmed
- Mustafizur Rahman
- Shoriful Islam
Both teams are fielding a mix of experienced players and exciting new talents, setting the stage for an intriguing contest.
