The 2023 Asia Cup is approaching the final, with the last match of the Super Four stage between India and Bangladesh. While India was dominant throughout the tournament, Bangladesh is eager to conclude their continental campaign with a big win. This highly anticipated IND vs BAN clash is set for this Friday, September 15, 2023, at 3:30 PM at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.
Preview of IND vs BAN ODI in Asia Cup 2023
Since this game won’t affect the trophy race, and the Indian team will have only one day of rest before the finals, it’s likely that the Indian team management will opt to rest some key players.
Shreyas Iyer, who was sidelined in India’s last two matches due to a back spasm, is anticipated to be fit for this upcoming game. Meanwhile, the experienced fast bowler Mohammad Shami may step in for Jasprit Bumrah to ensure Bumrah’s fitness for the crucial final match.
The head coach of the Tigers, Chandika Hathurusingha, had previously announced that there would be no team practice during a three-day break from September 10 to the 13. Two key Bangladeshi players, Shakib Al Hasan, and Mushfiqur Rahim, have temporarily left the squad to attend to family matters in Dhaka. While Shakib will join the squad, Mushfiqur Rahim will be absent from the Asia Cup Super Four match against India on Friday. Bangladesh Cricket Board has granted him an extension of leave to be with his newborn child and family.
Bangladesh’s performance in the Super Four stage has fallen short of the high expectations of their fans. Unfortunately, they have been eliminated from the tournament. The dreams of achieving their first continental championship have diminished for skipper Shakib Al Hassan’s team, especially after suffering losses in their first two Super Four matches.
Their big 89-run victory over Afghanistan in the group stage, which secured their place in the Super Four, stands as their sole triumph in this tournament. The Tigers are now hoping for a positive result in their final Super Four match before they prepare to host New Zealand in a three-match ODI series starting on September 21. In the other two Super Four matches, Sri Lanka won over Bangladesh by 21 runs, and Pakistan won by 7 wickets.
On the other hand, India is approaching their final Super Four match as the only team in the tournament that remains undefeated. The Men in Blue delivered an impressive 228-run victory over their arch-rivals, Pakistan, during the Super Four stage. They followed this up with a successful defense of 213 runs against Sri Lanka, which they won by 41 runs.
Despite not being able to complete a full 100-over game in the group stages, the seven-time Asian champions have now played on the R. Premadasa Stadium field for three consecutive days. They are now looking forward to a brief break before stepping onto the field against Bangladesh.
Predicted XIs for India
Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan (wk), Tilak Varma, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Mohammad Shami, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammad Siraj.
Predicted XIs for Bangladesh
Mohammad Naim, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Litton Das (wk), Shakib Al Hasan (c), Towhid Hridoy, Shamim Hossain, Mahedi Hasan, Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Hasan Mahmud, Nasum Ahmed.
IND vs BAN Head to Head ODI Matches So Far
Despite a strong effort from the Bangladesh team, India has consistently held the upper hand in this rivalry. The Men in Blue maintain a commanding lead in the head-to-head record, with an impressive 31 victories out of 39 encounters, while the Bangladesh Tigers have managed to secure victory only seven times thus far. One match had no result.
Key Indian Players to Watch
Rohit Sharma
The 36-year-old Indian captain is presently at the top of the run-scoring leaderboard, scoring 194 runs at an impressive average of 64.66. In his latest match against Sri Lanka, he reached the significant milestone of 10,000 runs in ODI cricket. Although he has scored half-centuries three times in this tournament, Rohit has not yet managed to score his first century. He will be eager to achieve this milestone in the remaining two innings before the tournament concludes.
Virat Kohli
In his remarkable innings against Pakistan in the Super 4 stage of the Asia Cup, Kohli surpassed the milestone of 13,000 runs in ODI, becoming the fifth player in men’s ODIs to achieve this remarkable feat. However, he scored only three runs in the next match against Sri Lanka. But his excellent batting against Pakistan resembled his comeback. So, Kohli might repeat that performance against the Tigers.
KL Rahul
Indian batsman K.L. Rahul achieved a century during the Asia Cup Super 4 match against Pakistan at Colombo’s R. Premadasa Stadium on Monday. He returned to the Indian side after a nearly three-month absence due to multiple injuries and reached the century mark by hitting a double off Naseem Shah’s delivery. So, Rahul will be looking for another good score in the next match to make his position permanent in the team. Overall, KL Rahul played 56 matches for India and scored 2136 runs, which includes 6 centuries.
Key Bangladeshi Players to Watch
Taskin Ahmed
Bangladeshi captain will assign crucial responsibility to Taskin, aiming to stop the star-studded Indian top-order, which has been dominating pacers throughout this ongoing competition. Taskin Ahmed shares the distinction of being the highest wicket-taker in Asia Cup 2023, having taken nine wickets from four innings. The 28-year-old fast bowler played a pivotal role in their victory over Afghanistan, recording impressive bowling figures of 4 for 44 in 8.3 overs. He is expected to be a key factor in the success of the Bangladesh team.
Shakib Al Hasan
Captain Shakib Al Hasan is yet to give his best performance in this Asia Cup 2023. However, he played his role well as the captain. But overall, his batting and bowling performance has been dimmed recently. So, fans can expect one last performance before returning to home. So far, he scored 93 runs and grabbed 2 wickets in this Asia Cup.
Towhid Hridoy
Towhid failed to contribute to Bangladesh greatly in the first three matches of the Asia Cup 2023. In the first match, he scored 21 runs off 41 balls without any boundaries. In the next match against Afghanistan in Lahore, Bangladesh won by 89 runs, but he scored a zero. He also got out in a single-digit against Pakistan in the Super Four. However, Towhind knocked a brilliant batting performance in the last match against Sri Lanka, scoring 82 runs off 97 balls. So, we can expect another knock in the next match.
Final Words
Considering the match results so far in the ongoing Asia Cup 2023 ODI tournament, it can be said that team India is favorite in the contest.
However, nothing is impossible in cricket. To secure their first Super Four stage victory, Bangladesh need to show outstanding performances in all sectors including batting, bowling and fielding.
Bangladesh team should follow team Sri Lanka’s strategy to give a good fight, as they are the only team in this Asia Cup who gave an excellent fight against India. But, considering the team India’s performance, they have full potential to win the IND vs BAN Super Four Round match.
