India vs Bangladesh, T20 World Cup warm-up game: What Men in Blue will look to gain from 1 June match?

The start of India’s T20 World Cup 2024 campaign is still far but the Saturday warm-up match against Bangladesh can give us a good idea of what to expect from the Men in Blue against Ireland in their first Group A match on 5 June. The match will be played at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York, the venue for the T20 World Cup 2024 matches in the city.

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Team India will take the warm-up match as an opportunity to decide their combinations ahead of the World Cup. India face multiple questions going into the World Cup whether it’s over their battling line-up or bowling combinations, even the wicket-keeping slot has two strong contenders fighting for it. We take a look at what India will aim to gain from the warm-up against Bangladesh.

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Nassau County International Cricket Stadium Pitch

How the drop-in pitches at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium will perform is still a mystery. India’s game against Bangladesh, however, will help to get a better idea about the pitches at the makeshift venue. Team India is currently training at Cantiague Park in New York, away from the stadium. The information on pitch conditions will go a long way in helping India in deciding their playing combinations.

Will Virat Kohli play?

Kohli joined Team India in the USA only on Friday evening. He has missed the three training sessions so far, which raises questions about his possible participation in the warm-up game. While a batter of his class doesn’t face competition for a slot in the team, his batting position is still a mystery. A traditional No.3 batter, Kohli won the Orange Cap in IPL 2024 batting as an opener. Many believe Kohli should open for India in the T20 World Cup as well as it will give him the best possible chance to create the desired impact on the match. Kohli opening, however, could mean Yashasvi Jaiswal dropping to the bench.

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With a lack of clarity on what can be Kohli’s final batting position, the warm-up can provide a strong hint.

Shivam Dube’s bowling

Dube starred for Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2024 with 396 runs at a strike rate of 162.30 but only bowled one over in 14 matches. However, he will be needed to bowl a lot more in the T20 World Cup with Hardik Pandya being the only other sem-bowling all-rounder in the squad. Dube bowling consistently will be a huge relief for India and will lend more balance to the side. Considering all this, the team management will be looking to make Dube bowl as many overs as possible in the warm-up game.

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All eyes on pacers

India have decided to go with pacers Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Arshdeep Singh in the T20 World Cup 2024. While Bumrah is a world-class player, Siraj and Arshdeep had an average IPL. There was a lot of noise around the exclusion of T Natarajan and Avesh Khan, hence it becomes very important for Siraj and Arshdeep to hit their strides right away.

India squad: Rohit Sharma(c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Sanju Samson, Hardik Pandya, Rishabh Pant(w), Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal.

Bangladesh squad: Litton Das, Soumya Sarkar, Najmul Hossain Shanto(c), Towhid Hridoy, Shakib Al Hasan, Mahmudullah, Jaker Ali(w), Mahedi Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Shoriful Islam, Tanzid Hasan, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Tanvir Islam.