Bangladesh players lock themselves in the Gwalior Hotel as Security Concerns mount ahead of the 1st T20I

The India cricket team is set to kick off a three-match T20I series against the Bangladesh cricket team on Sunday, October 6, in Gwalior.

However, the Bangladesh team has landed themselves in controversy by deciding not to visit the city's Moti Masjid on Friday as planned, according to a police official.

Both cricket teams are working hard ahead of their T20I match. However, there are security concerns surrounding the match, as the Hindu Mahasabha has called for a bandh in Gwalior on October 6. T

hey demanded the cancellation of the game in response to violence against Hindus in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh Players And Staff Skipped Mosque Visit On Friday

In the latest events, Bangladeshi players and support staff canceled their planned visit to Gwalior's Moti Masjid due to threats from the Hindu Mahasabha. The Najmul Hossain Shanto-led team decided not to visit the city's Moti Masjid on Friday and offered prayers at their hotel, according to a PTI report.

The Moti Masjid is located about 3 km from the team's hotel in Gwalior. Gwalior Zone Inspector General Arvind Saxena stated that the team canceled their visit to the mosque. Saxena also said that comprehensive security arrangements were prepared for their visit to the mosque.

"We had made elaborate security arrangements around Moti Masjid but the Bangladesh team did not turn up. No organization had given any call to disrupt their visit," Arvind Saxena said.

The Gwalior authorities have placed tight security measures at the Radisson Hotel in the City Center, deploying over 200 security personnel, along with barriers and checkpoints. Over 2,500 police personnel will be present to ensure the safety of both the India and Bangladesh teams on match day.

Was Never An Issue From Our Side - Arvind Saxena

Bangladeshi cricketers performed their Friday prayers with a ‘Shahar Qazi’ (the city’s top Muslim cleric) at the hotel between 1 pm and 2:30 pm. Saxena stated that providing security for the team was not a concern.

"Providing security to the visiting team over just 3 km was never an issue from our side," Saxena said.

We Are Looking To Win This Series - Najmul Hossain Shanto

Ahead of the match, Najmul Hossain said that they wanted to play aggressively and win the T20I series against India. He acknowledged they missed an opportunity to advance to the semi-final in the last T20 World Cup and hoped that all the players would play some good cricket in India.

"We are looking to win this series, to be very honest. We want to play aggressive cricket. If you look at our last World Cup, we had a very good opportunity to play in the semi-finals but we couldn't do that. But, it's a new team. So, I hope all the players will play some good cricket here," Shanto said.

"We all know we didn't play our best cricket (in Tests). So, we are not thinking about what we have done before. Going forward, it's a very important series for us and we all know in T20 it's a totally different ball game. That particular day, those who are playing well will win the match," he added.

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