IND vs BAN, 3rd T20I: With series secured, India assistant coach hints at squad rotation for final clash

Thus far in the series, fast bowler Harshit Rana, batter Tilak Verma, spinner Ravi Bishnoi and wicketkeeper-batter Jitesh Sharma have yet to get a game.

Riyan Parag (l) and Harshit Rana during the practice session ahead of the T20 Cricket Match against Bangladesh at the Arun Jaitley Cricket Stadium in New Delhi on Tuesday, October 08, 2024. | Photo Credit: R V Moorthy / The Hindu

With the series in the bag, India could experiment with the playing eleven in the third and final T20I against Bangladesh here on Saturday.

Thus far in the series, fast bowler Harshit Rana, batter Tilak Verma, spinner Ravi Bishnoi and wicketkeeper-batter Jitesh Sharma have yet to get a game.

India assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate stated that these new faces could get a look in. “There is nice depth in the squad. A lot of our guys have IPL experience. We try to expose as many guys as we can to international cricket. So someone like Harshit Rana - we are keen to give him a game. Tilak came into the squad a bit later (to replace the injured Shivam Dube). Jitish is there as well. There are options. The plan was to win the series and then try a few new faces for the last game,” ten Doeschate said at the pre-match press conference here on Friday.

The match also serves as a chance for misfiring openers Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma to come good.

The former Dutch cricketer underlined the all-out attacking style of cricket that the team management is keen to follow.

“The Test match in Kanpur was a great example. We’re trying to push the limits of what we can do as a team. If you look at the T20Is, Sanju got a quick start in the first game in Gwalior. It would have been easy for him to knock it around and get a fifty. But he was trying to push for the boundaries. The messaging has been pretty consistent,” he explained.

The 44-year-old, a belligerent hitter in his playing days, added, “We want to build a strong core of players. With the 50-over Champions Trophy (early 2025), T20 Asia Cup (late 2025) and the 2026 T20 World Cup coming up, we want to know where everyone stands in Indian cricket.”

For Bangladesh, a disastrous tour nears the end. India has dominated proceedings in the two T20Is and the preceding Test series. A consolation win at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium may be beyond reach.