India and Bangladesh are all set to lock horns with each other in a five-match T20I series starting April 28 (Sunday) at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium to kick-start their preparations for the ICC Women's T20 World Cup slated to be played in Bangladesh in September-October.
There was a lot of tension in the air when the two teams took on each other the last time in July 2023. Harmanpreet Kaur lost her cool, smashed the stumps and lashed out at Bangladeshi umpires for their "pathetic umpiring". She copped a two-match ban for her gesture and also received a lot of criticism from her Bangladeshi counterpart Nigar Sultana Jyoti, who now claims to have "moved on" from the incident.
Despite the recent drubbing at the hands of Australia in both white-ball formats, the Bangladesh captain Nigar Sultana Jyoti is fairly confident of her side's chances in the series against India and "plans to take inspiration" out of the previous ODI series against India.
"We failed to fare well against Australia and it was a tough phase for us. But we went on a break then, spent time with our families and are back fresh, both physically and mentally," she replied to a PTI query during a media session on Friday.
"We have prepared well so far, including quality practice sessions and match scenario practice as well. There's a positive vibe within the team.We plan to take inspiration out of the ODI series win against India last year, and if we play our best cricket, it's going to be a cracker of a series," she added.
Sylhet International Cricket Stadium Pitch Report
Both India and Bangladesh have locked horns with each other twice at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium. The 160-run mark wasn't breached in both contests as India emerged victorious.
The pitch is not expected to be very high scoring and both teams will rely on their spinners for wickets. Pacers can enjoy a bit of movement early on. Notably, the average first innings score at the venue in T20Is is 132.
Sylhet International Cricket Stadium T20I Record and Stats
Total T20I Matches: 51
Matches won batting first: 30
Matches won bowling first: 21
Average first innings score: 132
Average second innings score: 107
Highest total scored: 210/4 by Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh
Highest score chased: 193/4 by Netherlands vs Ireland
Lowest total recorded: 33 all out by Malaysia women vs Sri Lanka women
Lowest total defended: 83/5 by Sri Lanka women vs Bangladesh women
