The second T20I between India and Bangladesh will be played in Rajkot. After the victory in the first T20I, their first ever against India, Bangladesh’s confidence will be on a high. The head to head record between the two teams now stands at 8 victories for India and one for Bangladesh
Weather and Ground Details 

An extremely severe cyclonic storm MAHA is expected to result in a heavy rainfall on the day of the match in Rajkot. Hence, the threat of a cancelled or a curtailed match looms large. 

Coming to the surface, historically the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot has been a high scoring venue in limited overs cricket. The two T20Is played here witnessed a first innings score of 201/7 (Australia vs India, 2013) and 196/2 (New Zealand vs India, 2017). Even in domestic cricket, it is among the fastest scoring grounds in India with an average run-rate of 8.5 since 2017. 

Team combination 

In the sixteen matches that have been played here since the start of 2017, spinners have been more economical than pacers (8.1 vs 8.5) but pacers have picked up wickets at a quicker rate. The quick bowlers have taken 116 wickets at 18.6 balls per wicket whereas the spinners have dismissed 61 batsmen at 24 balls per wicket. 

Diving further into different bowling techniques, right-arm leg spinners have the best record here. They have picked up 29 wickets at 17 balls per wicket. Going by this stat, then likes of Yuzvendra Chahal and Aminul Islam can be a good pick in the fantasy XI. 

The off-spinners and left-arm orthodox spinners have really struggled here with a bowling strike-rate of as high as 32.3 and 29.5 respectively.
Among pacers, the right-arm pacers have had a slight edge over their left arm counterparts with 18.2 balls wicket vs 20 for left-arm pacers

Captaincy Selection 

Highly consistent in T20Is since 2018, the Indian opener Shikhar Dhawan is our captaincy choice. He has been India’s highest run-scorer in T20Is since 2018. He was India’s top scorer during the first T20 as well. With an advantage of field restrictions early on and full 20 overs at his disposal, the chances of Dhawan continuing his good run are high. 

X-Factors 

Our first x-factor is the Indian leggie Yuzvendra Chahal. As wrist spin continues to dominate T-20 cricket, Chahal has been a regular wicket taker for India in this format. With 21 wickets since 2018, he is only behind Kuldeep Yadav in terms of most wickets for India. Even during the first T20, he was the pick of the Indian bowlers and troubled the key opposition batsman Mushfiqur Rahim. In a must-win game for India, Chahal will all set to continue his good form. 

Our second X-factor is the Bangladeshi skipper Mahmudullah. The leading run-scorer for Bangladesh in T20Is since 2018, Mahmudullah will be motivated by his role as the captain to ensure that he leads from the front. 555 runs at a decent average of 34.7 and a strike-rate of 135 since 2018 are numbers impressive enough to earn him a place in your fantasy eleven. He is also a part-time spinner and can return with a couple of wickets on a good day. 

Our third X factor is Mushfiqur Rahim. The architect of Bangladesh’s historic win in the first game, Rahim has always upped his game when it matters the most. He has an excellent record against India as well in the shortest format of the game averaging 45 in nine outings at a strike-rate of 122.3. He is also a wicket-keeper and that can also help you score the important points. 

Suggested Fantasy XI 

Mushfiqur Rahim (wk,vc), Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan ©, Shreyas Iyer, Mohammad Naim, Mahmudullah, Mosaddek Hossain, Deepak Chahar, Aminul Islam, Yuzvendra Chahal, Al Amin Hossain