Tigers meet Afghanistan in 1st T20 Sunday

FT ONLINE

Bangladesh will face Afghanistan in the 1st T20 Internation of the three-match series at a neutral venue Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in India’s Dehradun on Sunday.

The match will begin at 8:30 pm (Bangladesh time) with which the first-ever T20I series between the two nations will begin.

Satellite channel Gazi TV and Channel-i will telecast the match live.

Bangladesh will miss their vigorous pace bowler Mustafizur Rahman who was ruled out due to injury that he suffered during his IPL campaign for Mumbai Indians.

The Fizz was replaced by pace bowler Abul Hasan Raju but the Tigers captain all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan considered that without Mustafiz the series will be ‘difficult’ for his side.

The 10th ranked Bangladesh played against current 8th ranked Afghanistan in the shortest format in one occasion for a nine-wicket victory during the group stage battles of the ICC World Twenty20 at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in 2014.

Bangladesh started their T20I campaign in November 2006, but played so far 76 matches for 23 victories against 51 losses and two no results, while Afghanistan played out so far 63 matches for 41 wins against 22 losses appearing first for T20I in February 2010.

The next two matches will be held at the same venue on June 5 and 7.

Bangladesh squad

Shakib Al Hasan (captain), Mahmudullah Riyad (vice-captain), Tamim Iqbal, Soumya Sarkar, Liton Kumar Das, Mushfiqur Rahim, Sabbir Rahman, Mosaddek Hossain, Ariful Haque, Mehidy Hassan Miraz, Nazmul Islam Apu, Abu Hider Rony, Rubel Hossain, Abu Jayed Chowdhury Rahi, Abul Hsan Raju.

Afghanistan squad

Asghar Stanikzai (C), Mohammad Shahzad, Najeebullah Tarakai, Usman Ghani, Najibullah Zadran, Samiullah Shinwari, Shafiqullah Shafaq, Darwish Rasooli, Mohammad Nabi , Gulbadin Naib, Karim Jannat, Rashid Khan, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Mujeeb ur Rahman, Shapoor Zadran and Aftab Alam.