India T20 marauders eye another big win; Bangladesh hopeful

PTI, New Delhi: An India so dominant that Bangladesh is admittedly clueless about how to match the "skills and mentality" of Suryakumar Yadav's men. The script is not expected to deviate much when the two sides clash in the second T20 International here on Wednesday with the home team's young mavericks proving more than a handful for the full-strength visitors. Bangladesh have hardly looked like the plucky opponents that they are hyped to be but India have looked every bit the marauding force that loves to intimidate on home turf. So, even with key players such as Rishabh Pant, Axar Patel, and Jasprit Bumrah rested, India's remarkable depth in white-ball cricket shone through in a comfortable seven-wicket victory in the opening game in Gwalior.

One man who made a strong statement of intent in that game on Sunday was Sanju Samson. Confirmed by Suryakumar as an opener for the series, Samson has been in and out of the national set up since his debut in 2015 and his lack of consistency has been a major contributing factor. In the series-opener in Gwalior, the keeper-batter, who usually comes in the middle order, revelled in his new role as opener and played some delightful strokes in his 19-ball 29, showcasing his ability to play freely in the powerplay. However, he couldn't convert his promising start, much like his opening partner Abhishek Sharma, who showcased sheer power before running himself out. With first choice openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill rested for this series, both Samson and Sharma would be keen to prove they can go beyond mere cameos. The duo would look to seize this opportunity here and get a big score on Wednesday night in front of, what is likely to be a sellout crowd. The stakes are higher for the 29-year-old Samson, who is aiming to solidify his position as wicketkeeper in the absence of Pant.

With the T20 World Cup still two years away, a series of consistent performances as both opener and wicketkeeper could make him a strong contender for future selections in the white-ball formats. The hosts are unlikely to tinker with their playing XI after everything went India's way in the opener. Debutant Mayank Yadav dazzled with his fiery pace, while fellow first-timer Nitish Kumar Reddy made a mark as a seam-bowling all-rounder, a rarity in Indian cricket.

Team (from): Suryakumar Yadav (C), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Rinku Singh, Hardik Pandya, Riyan Parag, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Tilak Varma, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Mayank Yadav.