India elected to bowl first in the opening T20I match against Bangladesh in Gwalior on Sunday, October 6. Suryakumar Yadav-led Indian side handed the debuts to the young fast bowler Mayank Yadav and the batting all-rounder Nitish Reddy.
After a 2-0 Test series win, the BCCI rested the majority of the senior players for the three-match series. T20I regulars Hardik Pandya, Sanju Samson and Arshdeep Singh returned to the team but there was no place for the spinner Ravi Bishnoi.
Washington Sundar and the experienced Varun Chakravarthy started ahead of Bishnoi with Riyan Parag also offering the third spin option in the playing eleven for India. Varun, 33, last played for India in the 2021 T20 World Cup but has been a consistent performer in the IPL.
The focus will be on Mayank Yadav who made the headlines with his speed in the IPL 2024. The 22-year-old LSG pacer consistently bowled over 150 kmph before being ruled out due to injury. He will look to make a similar impact on his international entry alongside another debutant Nitish Reddy who was part of India's Zimbabwe tour but was withdrawn due to an injury.
"We'll look to bowl first. Looks humid, don't think the wicket will change later on," Suryakumar Yadav said after winning the toss. "Always a great feeling coming back home and playing in home conditions. We are really excited about that. There's a lot of talent involved in the group. The energy is great and most importantly, the guys are keen to learn. That's a great thing. (On the stadium) Looks beautiful, the crowd here looks lovely, and I'm very excited to play here. Guys who are missing out are Tilak Varma, Ravi Bishnoi, Harshit Rana and Jitesh."
India Playing XI: Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Suryakumar Yadav (c), Nitish Reddy, Hardik Pandya, Riyan Parag, Rinku Singh, Washington Sundar, Varun Chakravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Mayank Yadav.
Bangladesh Playing XI: Litton Das (wk), Najmul Hossain Shanto (c), Parvez Hossain Emon, Towhid Hridoy, Mahmudullah, Jaker Ali, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Rishad Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Shoriful Islam.
