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The hosts of the 2023 ICC ODI Men’s Cricket World Cup will take on Bangladesh next at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune on October 19. While the Men in Blue are on a dream run, having won all three games so far in the tournament and comfortably taking the top spot in the standings.
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On the other hand, Bangladesh who beat Afghanistan by six wickets in their tournament opener, were then defeated by reigning champions England and 2019 runners up New Zealand. The side also suffered a major blow as their skipper, Shakib Al Hasan sustained a quad tear during the last league match at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. Seeing the injury, the skipper now remains doubtful for the crucial match against India, set to be played on October 19.
However, the Bangladesh Team Director, Khaled Mahmud has now opened up on the injury and added that he is being monitored closely. “Shakib is getting better. He is pain-free. But we will know the full scenario when he hits the nets. He will also do running between the wickets. We are hopeful that he can play against India. He worked in a swimming session, and some upper-half work in the gym. There will be scan tomorrow which will give us a clearer picture on the situation,” Mahmud added.
The Team Director further added that Shakib is willing to play but he clarified that the 36-year-old cannot be added unless given a nod by the medical team.
“Usually these injuries produce a lot of pain. It is tough to walk around even. Shakib is quite well. It is giving us hope. Shakib wants to play, so if the situation I that he is 85-90% fit, like he was in the last game after getting injured, we are hopeful too,” Mahmud further quoted.