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Ahead of Bangladesh’s Champions Trophy 2025 opener against India, former opener Imrul Kayes reckoned that Mohammed Shami will be a huge threat to the Tigers. Shami has recovered fully from his injury to return to India’s setup for the three-match ODI series against England.
Shami averaged 52 on his comeback but even that didn’t deter Kayes from hailing the right-arm pacer, stating that he will be a big threat for Bangladesh. However, having said that Kayes also gave the Tigers an outside hope that they could capitalise in Jasprit Bumrah’s absence.
"India is a strong side with a great bowling attack and batting lineup. But Bumrah is not in the squad. We all know what he has done in the last two years for Indian cricket. His absence gives Bangladesh a chance to capitalize. Shami’s inclusion is big. He may be struggling a bit with fitness right now, but if he finds his rhythm, he will be a big threat for Bangladesh,” Kayes told PTI.
More importantly, Kayes revealed that Shakib Al Hasan’s absence could be huge for Bangladesh. The all-rounder was not picked in Bangladesh’s squad for the Champions Trophy, possibly because of a suspect bowling action.
"I definitely miss Shakib because he is a very good player. His impact on any match is immense. At the moment, Bangladesh is struggling. They are struggling because if Shakib is not playing, they might play an additional spinner,” he said.
“That’s the main problem. Litton’s form was a big concern for the team. But in the last few BPL matches, he did score some runs. However, Soumya Sarkar and Tanzid Tamim have performed better, and I think the team is in good shape in that department."
Over the last two years, the off-spinning all-rounder Mehidy Hasan Miraz has delivered multiple times for the Tigers, with 23 wickets in 2023 and an average of 42 with the ball. Even with the bat, Mehidy has had a stunning 2024, where he’s scored 305 runs with three half-centuries in eight encounters.
"If you see Mehidy Hasan, when he came to the national team, he was new, but his courage is amazing. His character shows he is a champion player. He doesn’t care about anybody; he always believes, ‘I will do it’. Mehidy can bat anywhere. In the 2018 Asia Cup final, he opened the batting against India. Shakib can also bat anywhere. So, if you compare, Mehidy will probably fill the gap."
