The absence of Jasprit Bumrah will help his side to start putting opposition India’s pace attack under pressure on February 20 when the two teams begin their Champions Trophy campaign, commented former Bangladesh opener Imrul Kayes.
Coming into the game as the clear favorite, India will be up against Bangladesh, which has undergone a long period of struggle in ODIs.
“India is a strong side with a great bowling attack and batting lineup. But Bumrah is not in the squad. We all know what he has done in the last two years for Indian cricket. His absence gives Bangladesh a chance to capitalize,” Kayes told PTI Videos.
Kayes represented Bangladesh in 39 Tests, 78 ODIs, and 14 T20s.
In Bumrah’s absence, the pace attack will be led by a veteran star Mohammed Shami along with young prodigy Harshit Rana and Arshdeep Singh.
“Shami’s inclusion is big. He may be struggling a bit with fitness right now, but if he finds his rhythm, he will be a big threat for Bangladesh,” Kayes said.
Bangladesh will be without veteran allrounder Shakib Al Hasan and out-of-form batter Litton Das.
Kayes felt Shakib’s absence would be keenly felt.
“I really miss Shakib because he is a class player. He makes an impact in any match. Currently, Bangladesh is struggling. They struggle because if Shakib is not playing, then Bangladesh might have another additional spinner. That is the main issue.
“There was a concern about Litton’s form, but in the recent couple of BPL matches, he started to get a few runs. As for others, Soumya Sarkar and Tanzid Tamim have been performing better, and I think the team looks good now in that department,” Kayes said.
With Shakib absent, Kayes hopes that vice-captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz will establish himself as Bangladesh’s main all-rounder.
“If you see Mehidy Hasan, when he entered the national team, he was just a newcomer, but his guts are incredibly strong. His character indicates that he is a champion player. He does not care about anybody; in his mind, he always says, ‘I will do it.’
“He can bat anywhere. The Asia Cup final of 2018, he opened the batting with India. Shakib can also bat anywhere. So, if you compare, Mehidy is probably going to fill that gap.
“But, Shakib playing would have given us an edge because of left-arm spin. The impact he has with his bowling is priceless for our team,” he stressed.
