India vs Bangladesh 2nd T20I: Can Bangladesh Stop the Indian Juggernaut in Delhi?

India are all set to face Bangladesh in the second T20I of the three-match series in Delhi. With an emphatic performance in the first game on Sunday in Gwalior, India took a 1-0 lead in the series. Suryakumar Yadav and co. will now be eager to gain an unassailable lead. The hosts are unlikely to tinker with their playing XI after everything went India's way in the opener. Debutant Mayank Yadav dazzled with his fiery pace, while fellow first-timer Nitish Kumar Reddy made a mark as a seam-bowling all-rounder, a rarity in Indian cricket.

Arshdeep Singh capably led the pace attack and mystery spinner Varun Chakaravarthy made a striking comeback after staying away from the national team for three years. On the other hand, the visitors will have to regroup quickly if they want to fashion a turnaround and stay alive in the three-match series.

India's Dominance in the First T20I

To call the first match between India and Bangladesh in Gwalior a one-sided contest would be a bit of an understatement. Bangladesh were so comprehensively outplayed that they couldn't even look capable of challenging India at any point of the match. So far behind were the visitors that former fast bowler RP Singh said it might not be advisable whether Hardik Pandya is in good form or not based on his performance against those opponents.

A Young Indian Squad

As has been the case in T20I series held since the 2024 T20 World Cup, this Indian team is devoid of most of their regular stars as it comes right in the middle of the team's Test season. This meant that the team management fielded a number of youngsters in the first T20I, including debutants Nitish Kumar Reddy and Mayank Yadav, and all of them contributed in some form or the other. There are a few young players who were left on the bench but it is unlikely that the team will be changed in any way for this match.

The Impact of the Youngsters

This means that fans in Delhi would get a glimpse of the express Mayank, who lived up to the hype by starting his international career with a maiden. Mayank ended up with figures of 1/21 in his four overs. The only reason for him to not be present would be if he is deemed not fit enough for this game.

Opening Partnership and Batting Order

Another aspect that is in focus is the opening partnership of Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma. The latter raced off to 16 runs in seven balls but the opening stand was cut short by Abishek being run out due to a horrible mix-up in the second over. Samson went on to score 29 in 19 balls before falling in the eighth over. With Rohit Sharma retiring from the format, India are looking to deepen their options at the top of the order in T20Is and will be keeping a keen eye on how these two perform. Moreover, either of these batters might also be considered as a back-up to the No.3 spot with Virat Kohli also retiring.

A Look at the Arun Jaitley Stadium

This venue was a nightmare for bowlers last year in the IPL. Each of the five games that were played at the Arun Jaitley Stadium last year saw a first innings score in excess of 200. Abhishek Sharma has a strike-rate of 217 and an average of 59 across the five T20 games he's played at this venue. In the sole match that the Sunrisers Hyderabad played here, Abhishek went berzerk, smashing a whopping 46 runs in just 12 balls at a scarcely believable average of 383.33. He put up an opening stand of 131 in, wait for it, 6.2 OVERS(!!!!!) with Travis Head, who scored 89 in 32. Arshdeep Singh summed up how bad this ground was for bowlers last year. “Punjab Kings didn't have a match here in the IPL this season but seeing the scores at this ground I didn't feel like seeing the wicket. We will come tomorrow and assess the conditions and make plans accordingly,” he told reporters.