Sports Reporter :
Bangladesh will take on Afghanistan in the first Twenty20 International match of the Biman Bangladesh T20I series at the Rajib Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Dehradun, India today. The match starts at 8.30 pm BST (Bangladesh Standard Time).
Private satellite television channels GTV, Channel i will telecast the match live.
Before today’s match, Bangladesh faced Afghanistan in a lone Twenty20 International match at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in the city’s Mirpur on March 16, 2014. Bangladesh won the match by nine wickets.
But after arrived in India, Bangladesh played a warm-up match against Afghanistan on Friday last. Bangladesh tasted an eight-wicket defeat to war-torn Afghanistan in the practice match.
According to the latest ICC T20I ranking, Afghanistan took the eighth spot, while Bangladesh took the tenth position.
Afghanistan have world-class bowler like Rashid Khan.
On the other hand, Bangladesh have a number of experienced cricketers including world-class all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan. It may be mentioned that ‘Wonder Boy’ Mustafizur Rahman cannot take part in the first Twenty20 International match against Afghanistan due to injury. He got injury in his left foot when he was playing for Mumbai Indians in the recently concluded Indian Premier League (IPL). Right-arm pacer Abul Hasan Raju has been included in Bangladesh squad instead of injured Mustafizur Rahman.
If Shakib can pick up two wickets in the first T20I, Shakib will become only the third cricketer to take 500 wickets and score 10,000 runs in all formats of international cricket. Shahid Afridi and Jacques Kallis are the others, but they needed more than 500 matches to do so. Sunday will be Shakib’s 300th.
Rajib Gandhi International Cricket stadium is going to host it first-ever international match. The capacity of spectators of the stadium is 25,000. The stadium has flood lights and all kind of modern facilities.
Teams:
Bangladesh (probable): Tamim Iqbal, Liton Das, Mushfiqur Rahim (Wicketkeeper), Shakib Al Hasan (Captain), Mahmudullah Riyad, Sabbir Rahman, Mosaddek Hossain, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Abu Hider, Rubel Hossain and Nazmul Islam.
Afghanistan (probable): Mohammad Shahzad (Wicketkeeper), Asghar Stanikzai (Captain), Najeeb Tarakai, Mohammad Nabi, Najibullah Zadran, Shafiqullah, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan, Aftab Alam and Mujeeb Ur Rahman.
