As the format changes to the smallest one, the task for Bangladesh gets even harder. Today, at 6pm local time, the first of the two T20I matches between Bangladesh and Afghanistan will take place at the beautiful Sylhet International Cricket Stadium.
Even though Bangladesh lost the ODI series 2-1, winning the third game was more than just a relief. On and off the field, it gave the Tigers the boost they needed after the Tamim Iqbal exit saga had taken all the attention.
Under T20I captain Shakib Al Hasan, the home team looked pumped up and had fun during the training session before the first game of the series yesterday.
Afghan spin bowlers Mujeeb Ur Rahman and captain Rashid Khan will test the Tigers once again. This time, it will be interesting to see how Shakib and his men deal with it.
In the 20-over version, Afghanistan is way ahead of the Tigers in terms of how often they win. So far, the guests have won six of their nine games. But for Bangladesh, it will be a new start.
In recent months, the Tigers have improved a lot in the simplest version. They beat the world champs, England, 3-0 earlier this year, and then beat Ireland in a series. This gave the hosts a lot of confidence.
During yesterday’s practice, head coach Chandika Hathurusingha was seen having a long talk with head manager Gamini De Silva about how important the Sylhet pitch would be.
Bangladesh is likely to play with Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, and Hasan Mahmud, all of whom are fast bowlers. But left-handed quick bowler Shoriful Islam, who had his best numbers of his career in the third ODI, has become a strong hope to make the team.
Shakib and Mehedi Hasan Miraz are likely to take care of spin bowling, but the team management has the option of adding an extra hitter.
Yesterday, there was a light drizzle in Sylhet, and there is a chance of rain today, so the game might be interrupted.