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Former Bangladesh opener Imrul Kayes believes Najmul Hossain Shanto-led side has an opportunity to take India by surprise in their ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in the absence of an injured Jasprit Bumrah. Kayes feels that Bangladesh batters can capitalise against favourites India.
“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 capitalise,” Kayes told PTI Videos.
However, Kayes has cautioned the Bangladesh batters of experienced campaigner Mohammed Shami who returned to the ODI format after a long injury layoff. He does not want them to underestimate Shami on the basis of his performances against England.
“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 noted.
Kayes on veterans missing from current squad
Kayes pointed out that the absence of veteran all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan may hurt them as they will miss a veteran left-arm spinner in the team. However, he lauded selectors for dropping Litton Das who roared back to form with a stunning century in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) 2024.
"I definitely miss Shakib because he is a very good player. His impact on any match is immense. At the moment, Bangladesh is struggling. They are struggling because if Shakib is not playing, Bangladesh might play an additional spinner. That’s the main problem.
"Litton’s form was a big concern for the team. But in the last few BPL matches, he did score some runs. However, Soumya Sarkar and Tanzid Tamim have performed better, and I think the team is in good shape in that department," said the 38-year-old.
Who will do Shakib's job?
To fill the void left by Shakib, Kayes has backed spin all-rounder Mehidy Hasan Miraz to do well considering his ability to bat anywhere.
“If you see Mehidy Hasan, when he came to the national team, he was new, but his courage is amazing. His character shows he is a champion player. He doesn’t care about anybody; he always believes, ‘I will do it.’ “Mehidy can bat anywhere. In the 2018 Asia Cup final, he opened the batting against India. Shakib can also bat anywhere. So, if you compare, Mehidy will probably fill the gap.
“But bowling-wise, Bangladesh will miss Shakib because he is a left-handed spinner. The impact he creates with his bowling is invaluable for our team,” he reiterated.
India vs Bangladesh last Champions Trophy clash
The last time India took on Bangladesh in Champions Trophy was in 2017. India restricted Bangladesh to 264/7 and then Rohit Sharma's 123 and Virat Kohli's 96 helped them win by nine wickets with 9.5 overs to spare.
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