For India, the contest follows yet another comprehensive victory over Pakistan — a result that prompted captain Suryakumar Yadav to question whether the term “rivalry” still applies. “Where is the rivalry?” he remarked, referencing India’s overwhelming dominance against their neighbours in recent years.
That confidence is rooted in hard numbers. Since the start of 2024, India have won 32 of their 35 T20Is, a run of form that has transformed them into arguably the most formidable T20 side in the world.
Bangladesh, meanwhile, arrive in Dubai with quiet belief. They stunned Sri Lanka in the opening round, expertly exploiting slow conditions to pull off a memorable upset. Mahedi Hasan and Mustafizur Rahman were instrumental, sharing figures of 8-0-45-5 to suffocate the Sri Lankan middle order and set up the win.
The challenge now is to reproduce that performance against India — a side against whom Bangladesh have a dismal record of 16 defeats in 17 T20Is. Yet, with similar slow conditions expected and scorching temperatures in Dubai, they will feel the environment could narrow the gap.
India’s top order looks immovable. Abhishek Sharma’s blistering 74 against Pakistan once again highlighted the destructive potential of his partnership with Shubman Gill. Tilak Varma and Suryakumar Yadav add further depth, while the ongoing experiment with Sanju Samson in the middle order remains one of the key talking points.
The team management appears determined to fit Samson into the XI, even if it requires tweaking his role. Early signs suggested some discomfort against the older ball, but another opportunity here could provide further clarity. He is expected to face a stern test from Mustafizur’s variations, which become even more dangerous on a slow surface.
For Bangladesh, captain Litton Das is likely to feature despite a minor back strain that limited his training workload. The management is also deliberating whether to persist with Shoriful Islam, who struggled against Sri Lanka, or replace him with Tanzim Hasan. Ultimately, much will depend on whether their spinners and cutters can disrupt India’s rhythm through the middle overs.
The conditions in Dubai promise a tactical battle, with scoring expected to slow considerably as the ball softens. Temperatures soaring into the high 30s will further test stamina and concentration. The numbers still overwhelmingly favour India, but Bangladesh know that a single inspired performance could change the narrative.
India squad: Suryakumar Yadav (capt), Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson (wk), Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy, Harshit Rana, Rinku Singh, Arshdeep Singh, Jitesh Sharma.
Bangladesh squad: Litton Das (capt), Tanzid Hasan, Parvez Hossain Emon, Saif Hassan, Tawhid Hridoy, Jaker Ali Anik, Shamim Hossain, Quazi Nurul Hasan Sohan, Shak Mahedi Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Nasum Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Shaif Uddin.
