Amid the chance of a severe cyclone, India and Bangladesh are set to face off in the second T20I with a lot at stake for both the teams at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot. Although Bangladesh didn’t win a single T20I against their neighbors, the visitors were able to slay the demons with a sensational seven-wicket win to commence the series.

India, who is missing the services of Jasprit Bumrah and Virat Kohli in their squad, suffered an unexpected loss and would look to make amends on Thursday. With Rohit Sharma leading the team, India will once again be the favorites while heading into the game although Bangladesh can’t be taken lightly in the format.

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There is a threat of rain for this game although a match between the two Asian rivals should take place. Spinners can play a crucial role at this venue while the pacers should also get some help with the ball. However, the pitch is expected to be more batting-friendly compared to Delhi one. Chasing will be the preferred option once again with 170 being par in Rajkot. Here are some of the prediction for the game/:

India

Shardul Thakur can be expected to replace Khaleel Ahmed, who was one of the reasons behind India’s loss in the first game. Apart from that, no changes are expected with Rishabh Pant given another opportunity to prove his credentials. Their opening pair of Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan is as good as any in world cricket with KL Rahul, who has two T20I centuries, can be a lethal weapon. Their depth in batting is commendable with Sundar and Pandya showcasing their prowess in the first T20I.

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Predicted XI: Rohit Sharma(C), Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant(WK), Shreyas Iyer, Shivam Dube, Krunal Pandya, Washington Sundar, Deepak Chahar, Yuzvendra Chahal and Khaleel Ahmed/Shardul Thakur.

Bangladesh

Bangladesh has no reason to make changes to their winning combination with the experienced duo of Mahmudullah and Mushfiqur Rahim being key to their fortunes. Youngsters, Mohammad Naim and Aminul Islam were able to give a good account of themselves with Shafiul Islam leading the attack well. In spite of Mohammad Saifuddin and Tamim Iqbal not featuring in the series, Bangladesh still looks to be a formidable unit and will look for a historic win on Thursday.

Predicted XI: Mohammad Naim, Liton Das, Soumya Sarkar, Mushfiqur Rahim(WK), Mahmudullah (C), Mosaddek Hossain, Afif Hossain, Aminul Islam, Shafiul Islam, Al Amin Hossain and Mustafizur Rahman.

Fantasy XI Prediction

Mushfiqur Rahim, Shreyas Iyer, Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Mahmudullah Riyad, Krunal Pandya, Afif Hossain, Yuzvendra Chahal, Aminul Islam, Deepak Chahar, and Washington Sundar.