India vs Bangladesh 1st T20I in Delhi ‘Historic’, Both Teams Lock Horns in 1000th Cricket Match Under Twenty20 Format

History was made when India and Bangladesh captains - Rohit Sharma and Mahmudullah - walked out for the toss at the Arun Jaitely Stadium in Delhi for the 1st T20I match on November 3, 2019 (Sunday). The 1st Twenty20 encounter at the Firoz Shah Kotla ground on Sunday will be the 1000th T20I match in men's overall cricket history. The 20-over game - shortest format of cricket - which once started as an experiment to attract more audience to the game and make cricket more appealing will achieve history and enter the record books. India and Bangladesh have played their fair share of T20I cricket and will be facing each other for the ninth time in Twenty20 cricket's history. India Vs Bangladesh, Cricket Score 1st T20I Match.

Twenty20 cricket, when it first hit the cricket grounds in England in 2006, was a revolutionary game that changed the way cricket was perceived forever. With less time but more competitiveness, energy and thrillers, the T20I format has become the most popular format of cricket and enjoys a special status among the fans. Over time many T20I leagues have also been introduced across the world – like the Indian Premier League (IPL) in India – with many cricketers around the globe travelling places to play in the different T20I franchise leagues.

Twenty20 Match for the 1000th Time

Meanwhile, despite smog, poor visibility and low air quality index hitting Delhi in the last few days post Diwali, India and Bangladesh will face each other at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. The fixture has come under serious threat of being called off owing to the poor visibility and air pollution in Delhi but if the game eventually goes through, it will be a historic occasion.

India have rested regular skipper Virat Kohli for the three-match T20I series against Bangladesh, with his deputy Rohit Sharma to lead the team. The home team are also missing Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya through injuries and have rested many other senior players to give youngsters a chance to shine keeping the upcoming 2020 T20I World Cup in mind.

Bangladesh, similarly, are missing several key players but for different reasons. The Bengal Tigers lost experienced opener Tamim Iqbal and promising fast bowler Mohammad Saifuddin due to personal reasons and injury before facing their biggest loss in the form of Shakib Al Hasan, who after a series of differences against the selectors was banned for a year by the International Cricket Council for failing to report corrupt approaches and match-fixing attempts.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 03, 2019 06:32 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).