Given the current scenario, the Bangladesh-India cricket rivalry has all the ingredients in place to become one of the hottest rivalries in the world.
The political history of the India-Pakistan and England-Australia rivalries has been a major factor behind their on-field animosity but there is a slight difference with the Bangladesh-India rivalry.
Granted, there has been some spicy on-field incidents between Bangladesh and India but it is more the off-field incidents that made the cricket-mad Tigers supporters adopt a war mode whenever the two sub-continent sides meet each other.
Be it India limited-over captain MS Dhoni clashing shoulders with Bangladesh pace sensation Mustafizur Rahman last year or the recent conspiracy theories behind the suspensions of fast bowler Taskin Ahmed and Arafat Sunny; the Bangladesh fans are never short of excitement whenever they are up against their neighbour in a game of cricket.
A wounded Bangladesh face hosts India today in their third Super 10 game of the ongoing 2016 World Twenty20 at M Chinnaswamy Stadium and thus the social media, mostly on this side of the border, has gone soaring again.
Bangladesh limited-over vice captain Shakib al Hasan though believes the Tigers cricketers do not feel the same heat as the supporters and said the India tie will be just another day in the office for both sets of teams.
“I do not think any (Bangladesh) player thinks about all these. These are all for social media, and mainstream media. I have never felt the heat as a cricketer, to be honest. Never thought of it in such a way regarding a particular game. I am sure none in the India camp thinks about all these,” Shakib explained to the media in Bangalore yesterday.
“Everyone in the team are matured. I do not think we need to do anything special to keep the team moving and motivated. The biggest inspiration for one should be playing for his country. You going into the middle means you have the opportunity to do something for your country. So thinking that way should be the biggest inspiration for a player,” said the ace all-rounder.
Following two wins in the first round that guaranteed the Tigers’ progression to the Super 10, all the attention suddenly turned to the semi-finals of the flagship event but after defeats against Pakistan and Australia, Bangladesh’s last-four hopes have been dealt a major blow.
“Mathematically, it is still possible to make it to the semis but then again, we also know how tough that is going to be. We are taking game by game. I am sure the team have an ambition but you have to take it step by step,” said Shakib.
