T20 World Cup 2021: Bangladesh’s strongest predicted playing XI for the tournament

In two months’ time, the attention of the entire cricketing world will shift to the T20 format of the game. The 2021 T20 World Cup will be played in the months of October and November this year in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and each and every team will be looking to put out their best XI on the park to win the coveted trophy. Bangladesh will surely be one of the dark horses of the competition. The side can surprise any other team on their day, and will surely be a side that should not be taken lightly. In their recently concluded five-match T20I series against Australia, Bangladesh won the series by a margin of 4-1. With the hugely awaited T20 World Cup on the horizon, let us take a look at the strongest Bangladesh XI for the tournament this year. 1. Tamim Iqbal Tamim Iqbal. (Photo Source: Getty Images) Opening the batting for the Bangladeshi Tigers will be arguably their greatest limited-overs batsman, Tamim Iqbal. Iqbal has a lot of experience at the T20I level, has featured in 78 T20Is, and has plundered 1758 runs at an average of 24.08 and a strike rate of close to 120. The left-hander is currently the second-highest run-scorer for Bangladesh in T20I cricket, after Shakib Al Hasan. Tamim has scored in excess of 30 in his last three innings in T20I cricket. Even though he is currently injured, the left-handed batting veteran should be fit in time for the T20 World Cup this year. Needless to say, Tamim’s fortunes with the willow will be crucial for the Bangladeshi Tigers. 2. Mohammad Naim Mohammad Naim. (Photo Source: Getty Images) Opening the batting with Tamim Iqbal will be the 21-year-old youngster, Mohammad Naim. The left-hander has featured in 17 T20Is for Bangladesh and has plundered 465 runs at an average of close to 30. Naim is a batsman who can oscillate between aggression and sedate caution and is the ideal opening foil for Tamim Iqbal. Naim produced crucial contributions with the willow in the 4th and 5th T20Is against Australia. While he scored 28 runs in the 4th T20I, he scored a run-a-ball 23 in the fifth rubber. And, both these matches were low-scoring encounters, and Naim applied himself on a wicket that was challenging to bat on. Mohammad Naim will once again look to step up for his side in the all-important T20 World Cup that will be held later this year. 3. Liton Das Liton Das. (Photo Source: Twitter) Another batsman who will be crucial for Bangladesh is Liton Das. Das is an experienced cricketer and has been playing at the international level for over 6 years now. The right-hander has featured in 33 T20Is for the Bangladeshi Tigers and has amassed 646 runs at an average of 20.84. However, what makes Das a potent weapon is the fact that he scores his runs at a strike rate of 134.02. He is a batsman who can take the game away from the opposition and can impose his will on the proceedings. With his experience and aggression, Das will occupy the No.3 slot in the Bangladesh lineup for the T20 World Cup this year. 4. Soumya Sarkar Soumya Sarkar. (Photo Source: Twitter) Soumya Sarkar brings with him a wealth of experience in the T20I format of the game. A vital cog of the Bangladesh batting lineup for more than 6 years, Sarkar is currently the 5th highest run-scorer for the Bangladeshi Tigers in T20I cricket. The left-hander has plundered 1105 runs in the T20I format of the game and has scored his runs at a strike rate of 123.60. He has also plundered 5 fifties in his T20I career. Sarkar is a batsman who can constantly put pressure on the opposition and is a ‘busy’ player. He will occupy the No.4 slot in this Bangladesh lineup. 5. Shakib Al Hasan Shakib Al Hasan. (Photo Source: Twitter) Shakib Al Hasan is the most prized possession of the Bangladesh side. Shakib is adept with both bat and ball and is arguably the greatest cricketer to have played for Bangladesh in limited-overs cricket. He is the highest run-scorer for the Bangladesh side in the T20I format of the game and has scored 1718 runs at an average of 23.53. Shakib is also the highest wicket-taker for Bangladesh as well and has scalped a whopping 102 wickets at an excellent average of 20.63. The cricketing legend proved his worth in the five-match T20I series against Australia, contributed with both bat and ball and won the Player of the Series Award as well. 6. Mahmudullah (C) Bangladesh cricketer Mahmudullah. (Photo by STR/AFP via Getty Images) The man who will lead the Bangladeshi Tigers in the T20 World Cup this year will be Mahmudullah. He is the most capped Bangladeshi player in T20I cricket and has represented his country in a whopping 97 matches at the T20I level. The right-handed batsman is the third-highest run-scorer for Bangladesh and has plundered 1651 runs at a decent average of 23.25, and a strike rate of 121.21. He is also handy with the ball as well and can scalp crucial wickets with his off-spin. In fact, Mahmudullah is the 6th highest wicket-taker for Bangladesh and has picked up 32 wickets in his career. Needless to say, Mahmudullah is an asset for the Bangladesh side and will occupy the No.6 spot in this side. 7. Mushfiqur Rahim Mushfiqur Rahim. (Photo Source: Twitter) The diminutive Mushfiqur Rahim will occupy the No.7 slot and will also don the wicket-keeping gloves as well for his side. Mushfiqur has been an integral part of the Bangladesh T20I side for almost a decade and a half. Rahim is the 4th highest run-scorer for the Bangladesh side and has scored 1282 runs for his country at a strike rate in excess of 120. The right-hander has also plundered 5 fifties in his T20I career as well. Rahim is a batsman who can keep a cool head when the situation demands him to and is a batsman who can dismantle any bowling attack when he gets going. 8. Mahedi Hasan Mahedi Hasan. (Photo Source: BD Crictime) Mahedi Hasan is a cricketer who can be useful with both bat and ball. The 26-year-old has featured in 14 T20Is for Bangladesh and has scored 119 runs and taken 10 wickets. Hasan underlined his value to the Bangladesh side in the second T20I of the recently concluded series against the Australian side. Bangladesh were chasing 122 for victory, and Hasan scored a handy 23 off 24 deliveries for his side. He also scalped 4 wickets with the ball against the kangaroos in the five-match T20I series as well. He will occupy the No.8 slot in this side. 9. Shoriful Islam Shoriful Islam. (Photo by MUNIR UZ ZAMAN/AFP via Getty Images) Shoriful Islam has been extremely impressive in his short career that has lasted 10 matches. The 20-year-old left-arm seamer has scalped 15 wickets in his career thus far and has taken his wickets at an excellent average of just 16.47. Islam was superb with the ball in hand in the recently concluded T20I series against Australia. In the 4 matches that he played, Islam scalped 7 wickets, and also gave away runs at an economy rate of just 6.38 runs per over. Islam is young, is a bowler who has clever variations up his sleeve, and is surely a young gun who can prove to be useful for Bangladesh in the T20 World Cup this year. 10. Taskin Ahmed Bangladesh cricketer Taskin Ahmed reacts after the dismissal of Pakistan batsman Umar Akmal during the Asia Cup T20 cricket tournament match between Bangladesh and Pakistan at The Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka on March 2, 2016. AFP PHOTO/ MUNIR UZ ZAMAN / AFP / MUNIR UZ ZAMAN (Photo credit should read MUNIR UZ ZAMAN/AFP/Getty Images) Another vital cog of the Bangladesh bowling attack is Taskin Ahmed. The 26-year-old pacer is a thinking bowler, and can also surprise batsmen with changes in pace as well. The right arm seamer has played 23 T20Is for Bangladesh and has scalped 14 wickets at a strike rate of 29.0. Ahmed has been playing at the international level for over 7 years now and is an experienced bowler. Taskin Ahmed can generate a good amount of pace, and will surely be handy for the Bangladesh side in the 2021 T20 World Cup. 11. Mustafizur Rahman Mustafizur Rahman. (Photo by Andy Kearns/Getty Images) The final name in this side is left-arm pacer, Mustafizur Rahman. Rahman is a bowler who can bowl yorkers with precision, has a sharp bouncer in his arsenal, and can also fox the batsmen with clever changes in pace as well. ‘Fizz’, as he is fondly called in the cricketing world, is the second-highest wicket-taker for the Bangladesh side in the T20I format of the game. Rahman has played 48 matches and has picked up 68 wickets at an excellent strike rate of just 15.40. He has also picked up a four-wicket and a five-wicket haul in his career as well. Rahman has been in excellent form with the ball in T20Is played in 2021. In the 7 matches that he has played this year, the left-arm pacer has scalped 10 wickets, at an average of just 13.90. He has also conceded runs at a miserly economy rate of just 5.56 this year. Batsmen will surely find it a challenge to face up to Rahman this year in the T20 World Cup. Note: All the stats have been taken from Cricinfo, Cricbuzz, and Howstat cricket and have been updated as on 16th August 2021.

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T20 World Cup 2021: Bangladesh’s strongest predicted playing XI for the tournament

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