In an unusually unpredictable World Cup thus far, Group D has been an exception with results largely going to pre-tournament expectations. It was always going to be a dash between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka for the second qualification spot, and the former’s win in the encounter between the two sides hastened the end for the 2014 champions. If anything, the Netherlands have given a better account of themselves than the Lankans. Bangladesh come into their final league game with qualification almost a certainty, thanks to their superior net run rate in comparison to the Dutch.
As such, a win isn’t mandatory to progress unless the defeat is of gargantuan proportions but winning is a habit that no team would want to forego, especially before the business end of the tournament. Bangladesh have had a strong campaign so far and if not for their implosion at the back end against South Africa, the Asian side would have been unbeaten at this point. The surfaces in the tournament have been a perfect fit for Bangladesh’s bowling unit who have strangled opponents to perfection. The batting, though, has room for improvement, and it is an area they’d love to address.
Meanwhile, Nepal had their own heartbreak against South Africa, arguably a bigger one than Bangladesh’s, given the nature of the game and the equation needed at the end. The result notwithstanding, the performance was evidence of Nepal’s capabilities at the highest level and they’d be keen to upset Bangladesh’s apple cart before bowing out of the tournament. With a good mix of youth and experience, Nepal’s unit is tailor-made for T20 cricket, except that they haven’t had the necessary exposure, particularly against high-speed bowling attacks.
On paper, Bangladesh are overwhelming favourites but Nepal carry a threat that their opponents would be aware of.
When: Bangladesh vs Nepal, 37th Match, T20 World Cup 2024, 7.30 PM local time, 5 am IST (June 17)
Where: Arnos Vale Ground, Kingstown, St Vincent
What to expect: The two games threw up contrasting behaviours of the pitches. While Bangladesh’s game against Netherlands had a decent batting surface with variable bounce, Nepal’s clash against South Africa saw a tacky surface, albeit with better conditions as the game progressed. Another two-paced surface is likely with uneven bounce expected to be a factor.
Team watch:
Bangladesh
Shoriful Islam is making rapid strides in his recovery from the finger injury he sustained in the practice match against India. Should the left-arm seamer attain peak fitness, Tanzim Hasan Sakib is likely to make way. Otherwise, Bangladesh have little reason to change their XI.
Tactics and matchups: Nepal batters have a negative matchup against left-arm finger spin, which makes Shakib Al Hasan’s role with the ball paramount. He could start with the new ball if Bangladesh begin the strangle job from the get-go.
Probable XI: Tanzid Hasan, Najmul Hossain Shanto(c), Litton Das, Towhid Hridoy, Shakib Al Hasan, Mahmudullah, Jaker Ali, Rishad Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam/Tanzid Hasan Sakib, Mustafizur Rahman
Nepal
There are no injury concerns in the Nepal camp and with the kind of performance they put up against South Africa, changes seem unlikely.
Tactics and matchups: Kushal Malla (172.33) and Dipendra Singh Airee (182.13) have the best strike-rates among Nepal batters since the 2022 T20 World Cup. The duo will be critical to their team’s chances of negating Bangladesh’s bowlers, given the power game they possess.
Probable XI: Kushal Bhurtel, Aasif Sheikh(wk), Rohit Paudel(c), Anil Sah, Dipendra Singh Airee, Kushal Malla, Gulshan Jha, Sompal Kami, Karan KC, Sandeep Lamichhane, Abinash Bohara
Did you know:
– Since WC 2022, Taskin Ahmed has played 18 games and hasn’t gone wicketless in any of them
– The two teams have only faced each other once, back in the 2014 T20 World Cup, a game that Bangladesh won by eight wickets. Sompal Kami is the only survivor from the Nepal side.
What they said:
“We didn’t do well in the crunch moments but we fought very well. We’ll be on the other side next time if we play teams like this more often.” – Nepal skipper Rohit Paudel is confident that more exposure will boost his side’s gameplay
“He was struggling in last couple of innings, but he showed his skill (talking about Shakib)” – Bangladesh skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto is all praise for his veteran teammate
