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The ODI World Cup 2023 has been a rollercoaster of excitement for cricket enthusiasts worldwide, keeping fans on the edge of their seats with some thrilling matches and surprising upsets. One such promising encounter went underway at the MCA stadium in Pune on Thursday (October 19), where India took the field to lock horns with Bangladesh.
Although the Men in Blue are so far undefeated in the tournament, the approach of Indian players and analysis from many experts regarding the game validated the fact that a team like Bangladesh certainly possess the potential to snatch a win from the hosts. However, all these expectations were dashed when it was revealed during the toss that Bangladesh’s regular captain, Shakib al Hasan, was excluded from the team’s starting lineup against India.
Najmul Hossain Shanto informs about Shakib’s exclusion
As the match commenced, it was Najmul Hossain Shanto who came out for the toss, indicating that something was amiss with Shakib. Najmul expressed his pride in getting the opportunity to represent his country and then dropped the bombshell about the exclusion of the star all-rounder. He hinted that Shakib was not in the best physical condition.
“Proud moment for me and my family. We’d like to bat today. Looks a fresh wicket. If we put some good score, it’ll be good for the team. He (Shakib) is struggling a bit, Nasum is coming in for him. We have some great memories against India, hopefully we continue our form. I hope it’ll be a great match. We love to see the crowd, hopefully they’ll support both teams. Hasan comes in for Taskin,” said Shanto.
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Here’s why Shakib did not participate in the game against India
The reason behind Shakib’s absence from this crucial clash with India can be traced back to Bangladesh’s previous match against New Zealand in Chennai. During that game, Shakib sustained an injury, which immediately raised concerns about his fitness for upcoming matches.
After the New Zealand fixture, Shakib went for scans to assess the extent of the injury. These scans likely revealed the need for him to rest and recover rather than push himself into another high-pressure match. The coach of the Bangladesh team, Chandika Hathurusinghe, had also hinted the same before the India match, saying that they wouldn’t risk playing Shakib if he was not completely fit.
“If he is not ready to play, we won’t risk him. But if he’s ready, then there’s a chance of him playing tomorrow,” said Bangladesh coach.
Bangladesh’s Playing XI for clash against India:
Litton Das, Tanzid Hasan, Najmul Hossain Shanto (c), Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Towhid Hridoy, Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Mahmudullah, Nasum Ahmed, Hasan Mahmud, Mustafizur Rahman, Shoriful Islam
