Tigers upbeat to make winning start in T20 series against Ireland

Tigers will begin their T20 mission against Ireland with taking on the first match at Jahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, Chattogram today following their ODI series win in Sylhet. 

Bangladesh are morally boosted up after winning the ODI series when they simply outclassed Ireland in all three ODI matches (no result of the second match) and no doubt they are looking forward to continue the winning spree.

Tigers can hope to keep up their winning spree, as they started their winning streak from Chattogram when after losing two ODIs, as well as losing the series in Dhaka, Bangladesh got back their winning ways with defeating England in the third ODI and won the first T20, ultimately won the series (T20) against England earlier this month.

However, ahead of T20 series Bangladesh made three changes in the squad, that whitewashed England in the T20 series when a pair of uncapped Rishad Hossain and Jakir Ali have earned national call-ups for the first time in T20 series against Ireland and Shoriful has made his comeback, they will replace for Afif Hossain, Tanvir Islam and Rejaur Rahman Raja. 

Afif was excluded in the third match of T20 series against England when despite in the squad of first two matches was not considered in the playing X1 against Ireland was ruled out from the team in the third match,Tanvir played only the third T20 and bowled two overs, conceded 17 runs for one wicket andRejaur Rahman Raja did not play any of the matches in the T20 against England.

However, apart from three changes, Bangladesh will start the T20 series against Ireland with almost the winning squad.  

The inclusion of Rishad Hossain was a bit surprised, when it might be a choice of head coach Hathurusingha, as he choose the bowler to have a look at him in international stage when the leg-spinner last time played regularly in a domestic tournament was nearly two years back in the Dhaka Premier League T20s and this season he has only bowled 5.1 overs in the first-class competition.

Jaker Ali was on his peak in the Bangladesh Premier Cricket League when the in-form batter scored three consecutive centuries in the BPL and was the top scorer in the tournament with 492 runs from six innings. 

Meanwhile, it is highly expected that the Tigers will have the same wickets at Jahur Ahmed Stadium, Chattogram, they had in Sylhet, as Bangladesh have moved away from the slow, low pitches in Dhaka to the more sporting.

After the comfortable 2-0 ODI series win against Ireland in Sylhet, the first white-ball matches in the Port City in three years when the T20 series will take place in Chattogram. 

Tigers are eagerly looking for the wicket they had in Sylhet, that has offered pace and bounce, assisting both the fast bowlers and batters, as the Bangladesh team had almost everything they wanted from the Sylhet conditions.    

Now all are depend, how the wicket will behave and the Tigers’ batters and bowlers would comply with the character of the pitches, how the ball would move and bounce considerably during the first power play throughout the series. 

In all respect, in fact all are looking forward to Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan, Litton Das, Najmul Hossain Shanto and TowhidHridoy (Jakir Ali, if will have chance to bat) in batting and Taskin Ahmed, Hassan Mahmud, Mustafizur Rahman, Mehidy Hassan Miraz and Nasum Ahmed. 

Meanwhile, Bangladesh in their five previous T20 matches against Ireland won three, conceded one defeat and three was no result of one match when all three wins were at away venues.

It is the first time Bangladesh hosting Ireland in the T20 series when first T20 series was hosted by Ireland.