Published: Feb 19, 2025, 05:52 PM (IST)
Edited: Feb 19, 2025, 05:52 PM (IST)
Bangladesh skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto showed confidence in his team ahead of their opening Champions Trophy clash against India on Thursday. With a mixture of quality pacers and dependable all-rounders, Shanto believes Bangladesh has what it takes to make a strong start in the tournament.
“All departments have to click if we are to beat India. We have good memories against them, and if we execute our plans well, we have a good chance,” Shanto said in the pre-match press conference.
“We have some quality all-rounders, and we are depending on them. We are not overthinking. All teams in the tournament are capable of winning, and we fancy our chances,” Shanto added.
The fast bowling department is one of Bangladesh’s biggest strengths heading into the tournament. The likes of Mustafizur Rahman, Taskin Ahmed and Nahid Rana will be looking to cause massive problems for the opposing batters. Shanto praised Rana in particular, who has been quite impressive in his short career so far.
“We are very happy to have a fast bowler like Rana in the squad. If he plays, he will do the job for us. Our team has a good balance of spin and pace,” Shanto said.
The Bangladesh captain also talked about the absence of veteran all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan, who was suspended due to his bowling action, ruling him out of the Champions Trophy.
“Shakib’s absence is not a factor. Over the last couple of years, we have developed a strong pace attack. This is the best seam attack Bangladesh has had. We need to adjust quickly to the conditions here, as the pitches are not as high-scoring as in Pakistan. But we know we will get a lot of crowd support,” Shanto said.
