‘Can't take any team lightly’ - Rahul Dravid after Shakib Al Hasan labels India ‘favourites’ against Bangladesh

Indian head coach Rahul Dravid felt that Bangladesh cannot be taken lightly despite skipper Shakib Al Hasan recently admitting that India are favourites to win the upcoming fixture between the two sides. Ahead of the encounter against India, Shakib said that Bangladesh "haven’t come to Australia to win the T20 World Cup 2022", adding that he knows that a Bangladesh victory will be an "upset" in the match. The statement from Shakib proved to be talking point among the cricketing fraternity for giving up straightaway.  

“We haven’t come here to win the World Cup, but India have. If we win tomorrow, it will be an upset victory. India are favourites tomorrow," Shakib told. Although Bangladesh is yet to register a win against India in T20 World Cups, they came very close in the 2016 T20 World Cup until MS Dhoni snatched it from their hands with brilliance. After winning two out the three games, Bangladesh can still progress into the semi-finals if they can edge past India and Pakistan in their remaining games. 

It's very difficult to sometimes say who's a clear favourite: Rahul Dravid 

Dravid mentioned that Bangladesh have earned their respect and noted how anything is possible in the tournament with the example of Ireland beating England. He went to note about the small margin of victories and losses in T20 cricket making it difficult to pick a clear favourite. The former Indian captain further explained that the large boundaries and conditions have left the contest evenly poised. 

"I think we respect them a lot. I think they're a very good team. I think this format and this World Cup has really shown us that honestly you can't take any team lightly. Ireland showed that against England. We've seen enough games in this competition," Dravid was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.

"I think the fact that it is already such a short format. 20 overs is such a short format of the game. The margins of victory and defeat sometimes even if they're 12 runs, 15 runs, it's actually just two hits. It's two hits one way or the other, and actually that's the game. So it is already a shortened sort of rushed, noisy format, but it's very difficult to sometimes say who's a clear favourite in some of these games." 

"On top of that, I think these conditions. I think these conditions have actually leveled the playing field to a large extent because the boundaries are certainly bigger, and some of those big hits which you sometimes expect in the subcontinent to just go for six and you just know that I'll be able to make up those runs later on, it's not happening that easily. People are getting out," he added.