In the 2023 World Cup, Shakib Al Hasan, who serves as the captain of the Bangladesh team, has been present in all three of their matches. Bangladesh faces a significant challenge as they take on India this Thursday in an attempt to recover from a rocky start to their campaign. Recent surprises, where Afghanistan and the Netherlands defeated England and South Africa, respectively, might inspire Bangladesh as they prepare to compete against India in Pune.
It’s worth noting that Bangladesh famously defeated India in the 2007 World Cup, but the current circumstances are notably different. India has maintained an unbeaten record in the 2023 tournament, displaying impressive performances in their initial matches against Australia, Afghanistan, and their arch-rivals, Pakistan.
In contrast, Bangladesh started strong against Afghanistan but then suffered substantial losses to England and New Zealand. Additionally, Bangladesh is facing concerns about the potential absence of their captain, Shakib al Hasan, who has been recovering from a left quadriceps injury.
Although he did participate in the net session before the crucial match, the final decision on his participation in the World Cup game against India will depend on his fitness. Bangladesh’s head coach, Chandika Hathurusingha, emphasized that Shakib will only play in the World Cup match against India if he is completely fit.
The head coach Hathurusingha remarked: “He (Shakib) had a good batting session yesterday. He did a bit of running between the wickets as well. We are waiting for the result of the scan we did today. We haven’t tried his bowling yet. We will assess him tomorrow morning, and make a decision.”
If he is not ready to play, we won’t risk it. If he is ready, there’s a chance of him playing tomorrow (Thursday).First it is the medical staff who gives us their opinion. They give the green or red light. They give us an indication where the player is. If they think it is not risky, the player is given the choice of playing the game or not. It comes to the captain and coach whether they want the player or not. If he is wanted in one or both disciplines.
Hathurusingha is of the opinion that Bangladesh’s recent wins over India in three of their last four ODI meetings over the past few months will not influence the result of the World Cup match. Bangladesh secured a victory against India in the Asia Cup Super Four stage just last month and also managed a 2-1 ODI series win in December of the previous year.
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