The firm-favourite team India is all set to take on ‘Shakib-less’ Bangladesh in the smog-hit series-opener of the three-match T20I series at the Arun Jaitely Stadium on Sunday.


The India vs Bangladesh 2019 game later this evening will be the 1000th T20I. It's taken just 14 years for the format to make it to four figures.

26-year-old Mumbai lad Shivam Dube makes his debut as he becomes the 82nd player to play for Team India in T20 format.

With Tamim Iqbal and Shakib Al Hasan out of the tour, Bangla Tigers will aim to register their maiden T20I win over Rohit-led team India.

After Australia's 3-0 win against Sri Lanka and India leveling the T20I series vs South Africa, India indeed are No. 5 on the T20I rankings.

It’ll also be a big game for stand in skipper Rohit Sharma, who is just one game behind veteran MS Dhoni in terms of winning more titles as captain in the shortest format of the game. Rohit will become the most capped Indian player in T20Is. He'll go past MS Dhoni in his 99th T20I today.

TOSS UPDATE: Bangladesh won the toss and opted to bowl first at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.

B'desh Skipper Mahmudullah: We are gonna bowl first. The wicket looks go, so we need to restrict them to as low as we can. It's a good opportunity for other guys in the team to step in Shakib and Tamim's absence.

Stand in skipper Rohit Sharma introduced three spinners, two medium pacers and debutant Shivam Dube who can bowl few overs if required.

India skipper Rohit Sharma: We would have bowled first as well considering the dew factor here. Our record chasing is good as well. Nevertheless, we want to change ourselves, that has been a concern over the overs. Batting first and defending it later. The pitch looks slightly sticky, we need to assess and see what will be a fighting score. We have to win every game, we have to look forward to build a team.

Teams:

Bangladesh (Playing XI): Liton Das, Soumya Sarkar, Mohammad Naim, Mushfiqur Rahim(w), Mahmudullah(c), Afif Hossain, Mosaddek Hossain, Aminul Islam, Shafiul Islam, Mustafizur Rahman, Al-Amin Hossain

India (Playing XI): Rohit Sharma(c), Shikhar Dhawan, Lokesh Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant(w), Krunal Pandya, Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Deepak Chahar, K Khaleel Ahmed