Narendra Modi wished both teams luck during a press conference with Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina in New Delhi. Notably, the Bangladesh PM is a big cricket fan.
New Delhi: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi wished both Men in Blue and Bangladesh good luck for their crucial Super 8 fixture in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024 at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua. PM Modi’s good luck for both teams came during a press conference on Saturday with Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina in the Capital. Notably, the Bangladesh PM is on a state visit to the neighbouring country to strengthen bilateral ties.
“I wish both the teams all the best for tonight’s World Cup match. Bangladesh is India’s largest development partner and we give utmost priority to our relations with Bangladesh,” said PM Modi. PM Hasina’s visit is the first incoming bilateral state visit by a foreign leader after the formation of the new government in India following the Lok Sabha elections.
The Bangladesh Prime Minister was received at the airport by Minister of State in the external affairs ministry Kirti Vardhan Singh. Hasina was among seven top leaders from India’s neighbourhood and the Indian Ocean region who attended the swearing-in ceremony of Modi and the Union council of ministers at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on June 9.
As far as the game is concerned, India go into the clash as favourites. The Men in Blue produced a professional performance against Afghanistan in their opening Super 8 match. With only a travel day separating their remaining two games, they would be hoping that the players, who have not performed as per expectations so far, deliver the goods.
Top of that list would be the opening pair of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, both of whom have got starts but have not been able to turn them into defining knocks. They have made a conscious effort to force the pace but have ended with minimal returns.
Another under-pressure team member is left-hander Shivam Dube, who was picked in the World Cup squad to hammer sixes in the middle and death overs. Bangladesh, who have struggled with their batting throughout the tournament, find themselves in a must win situation after the loss to Australia.
The lack of power-hitters is hurting them and there is no quick fix to that problem. The under-performance of opener Litton Das and Tanzid Khan has also compounded Bangladesh’s woes. Both Shanto (41) and Towhid Hridoy (40) did well but the rest of the line-up was not quite up to it.
They will need to find a way to tackle Bumrah, who has been sensational thus far, taking eight wickets at an unparalleled economy rate of 3.46 runs per over. The pacers, led by Mustafizur Rahman, have done alright but leg-spinner Rishad Hossain needs more support in the spin department.