Suryakumar Yadav's much-needed fifty and Jasprit Bumrah's reliability with the ball helped India kickstart their T20 World Cup 2024 Super 8 campaign on a high as the Men in Blue registered a 47-run victory against Afghanistan at Kensington Oval, Bridgetown on Thursday. The Rohit Sharma-led India are currently placed second on the Super Eight Group 1 Standing and are gearing up to take on another Asian rival in Bangladesh at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua on June 22. A win against the Bangla Tigers will almost guarantee India a semi-final spot.
Ahead of this exciting contest, let's have a look at India's predicted XI against Bangladesh.
Predicted XI
Rohit Sharma (c)
India skipper Rohit Sharma has had an underwhelming run since he scored an unbeaten half-century against Ireland in India's tournament opener. However, the explosive opener has managed to score 76 runs in the tournament so far.
With over 4000 runs and a strike rate of 139.32 in T20Is, Rohit is always a go-to opener in the format. Furthermore, the Hitman has smashed 454 runs at a strike rate of 141 against Bangladesh in T20Is and will be looking to continue his dominance over them.
Virat Kohli
T20 World Cups have always brought the best out of Virat Kohli the batter. However, the Indian superstar has found it difficult to score runs this time in the USA and the Caribbean.
That said, with an outstanding average of almost 50, Kohli has dominated the 20-over format with more than 4000 runs to his name. Additionally, he averages 96.50 against Bangladesh and it is only a matter of time before Kohli finds form in the ongoing tournament.
Rishabh Pant (Wicketkeeper)
Rishabh Pant is probably enjoying his best World Cup campaign since his international debut for India. Returning from an injury, Pant smashed 446 runs in IPL 2024 for Delhi Capitals to make himself the first-choice wicketkeeper in India's starting XI for the T20 World Cup.
The southpaw has scored 116 runs in four innings at a strike rate of 131.81 in this T20 World Cup. His free-flowing style and intent with the bat will be an X-factor for India against Bangladesh.
Suryakumar Yadav
The No.1 T20I batter in the world, Suryakumar Yadav is an integral member of India's T20 World Cup 2024 team. His unorthodox approach with the bat at No.4 provides both aggression and stability to India's middle order.
Suryakumar's back-to-back fifties have boosted his confidence as the swashbuckling batter has now scored 112 runs in four matches at an average of 37.33. Indian fans will want SKY to continue his sublime form in the tournament.
Shivam Dube
Shivam Dube enjoyed a great IPL 2024 having scored 396 runs and was selected for the T20 World Cup squad due to his CSK performances. His power-hitting and handy medium pace offer versatility and all-round options to the Indian team.
Apart from a crucial 31-run cameo against the USA, the southpaw has struggled in the tournament so far and with a Super 8 fixture against Bangladesh on the cards, he will be raring to make the most of his opportunity.
Hardik Pandya
Hardik had a topsy-turvy IPL season with Mumbai Indians. He wasn't great with the bat but did take 11 wickets. However, he's a part of the team because his role as a finisher and medium-fast bowler provides balance to the Indian side.
The all-rounder has taken seven wickets in four innings at an economy of 5.57 and is one of the highest wicket-takers for India in the T20 World Cup 2024. He even showed glimpses of returning to form with the bat with a 24-ball 32 against Afghanistan and will be a player to watch against Bangladesh.
Ravindra Jadeja
Ravindra Jadeja's all-round capabilities have provided depth to India's playing XI in the ongoing T20 World Cup. However, the star all-rounder hasn't been able to live up to expectations in his four matches so far.
The southpaw has only managed seven runs in two innings and taken just one scalp in the tournament so far. Needless to say, he will be looking to make his presence felt against Bangladesh.
Axar Patel
Bowling all-rounder Axar Patel had a decent IPL 2024 campaign before heading to the T20 World Cup. The left-arm spinner took 11 wickets in 14 matches at an economy of 7.65 for Delhi Capitals.
Axar has taken 53 T20I wickets in 56 matches for India and is a go-to spinner in white-ball formats on his day. Interestingly, he has picked up a wicket in each of the games in this tournament and could prove to be a handy option against Bangladesh with both bat and ball.
Kuldeep Yadav
Left-arm chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav had a great IPL 2024 campaign for Delhi Capitals. With 61 wickets in 36 T20Is for India, Kuldeep is currently one of the best leg spinners in the world.
He scalped two wickets against Afghanistan in his last appearance in the tournament and can be expected to be amongst the wickets again against Bangladesh.
Jasprit Bumrah
With an excellent economy rate of 3.46, Jasprit Bumrah has taken eight wickets in the T20 World Cup 2024 and is currently leading India's bowling unit with aplomb. His class was on display against Afghanistan as he finished with three wickets and bowled 20 dot balls.
The lethal pacer won't be someone Bangladesh batters will be looking to face and one can expect another top performance by the fast bowler as he looks to add to his 82 T20I scalps.
Arshdeep Singh
Left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh has been enjoying himself in the 2024 T20 World Cup and has been a constant source of wickets for India, especially in the early and closing stages of an innings.
With an economy of 6.93, Arshdeep has taken 10 wickets in the tournament for India. He recorded his best bowling figures in T20Is (4/9) against the USA and will be keen to continue showcasing strong displays when India faces the Bangla Tigers.