Former India player Irfan Pathan has found similarity in the approach of leadership between former India captain MS Dhoni and current Bangladesh T20I skipper Mahmudullah. The allrounder feels Mahmudullah’s captaincy has shades of Dhoni after Bangladesh won a closely fought first T20I against the hosts in Delhi.

“When you win a match against one of the best teams in the world, it helps in boosting your confidence and Mahmudullah had shown great qualities of a captain including the changes he made during the match,” Irfan Pathan said on Star Sports. “There was a hint of Mahendra Singh Dhoni in his captaincy as he also used part-time bowlers after the power play which is a strategy often used by Dhoni.”

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The first T20I game was Bangladesh’s maiden victory over India in the shortest format without the veteran duo of Shakib-Al-Hasan (banned for two years) and Tamim Iqbal (resting) on the tour. Wicketkeeper-batsman Mushfiqur Rahim scored an unbeaten fifty in the series opener to set up the historic victory for the visitors but was dismissed cheaply in the next match. Offspinner Harbhajan Singh feels Mushfiqur could be the key for Bangladesh if they hope to win the series on Sunday.

“Mushfiqur Rahim is a player with lot of experience, his ability to play both spin and pace bowling is great and he has the maximum responsibility in the Bangladesh squad in terms of batting which gives him an edge over Mahmudullah, who is also a good player for the Bangladesh team,” Harbhajan Singh said.