Bangladesh Are One Wicket Down In Shakib Al Hasan's Absence - Gautam Gambhir

Bangladesh have come to India without their ace all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan due to a suspension by ICC. Former India cricketer Gautam Gambhir feels the visitors are already one wicket down in the three-match T20I series which starts from November 3 (Sunday).

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Meanwhile, the apex body banned the Bangladesh captain for two years, with one year suspended, for failing to report multiple approaches made to him by bookies. Shakib accepted the sanction with the ICC instead of an Anti-Corruption Tribunal hearing. After satisfying with all the conditions pertaining to the suspension part, Shakib Al Hasan will be free to resume cricket from October 29, 2020.

The absence of the no 1 all-rounder has made Bangladesh weak. Speaking on the same lines, Gautam Gambhir said that the visiting team is already one wicket down against India. Mahmudullah will lead the Tigers in place of Shakib.

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“One way or other, Bangladesh are already a wicket down and India are 40 without loss as that is what Shakib is worth. He was my KKR team-mate and I know what he can do on his day. Before this news came in I was quite certain that this will be a much closer series than the last one against South Africa was. Cricket is a funny game and this incident could end up galvanising the visiting team. Let us seem,” Gambhir wrote in his column for TOI.

Incidentally, Shakib Al Hasan and Gautam Gambhir have been teammates at the Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League. Gambhir also praised the entire Bangladesh team for making the pollution problem a serious issue. The conditions in Delhi are not suitable for a cricket game with the Air Quality Index hitting an all-time low.

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“I’d also like to congratulate Bangladesh for not making too much fuss about the pollution in the Capital. These are not ideal conditions to venture outdoors forget about playing competitive sport. So well done Tigers,” Gambhir concluded.