India and Bangladesh's first T20I to be the 1000th T20I match in men’s cricket

Team India and Bangladesh will be competing in the first of the 3-match T20I series on Sunday, November 3. This match is the 9th encounter between the two sides and the Men in Blue have won all the eight previous matches. The first time these two sides met in T20Is was in the ICC World T20 2009 group match at Nottingham, England.

Since then, India has bested the Tigers in every encounter with the two most famous ones coming being the final of the Nidahas Tri-series final in 2018 and the group stage match of the ICC Men’s World T20 2016. India won the World T20 2016 encounter by just 1 run thanks to the brilliance of MS Dhoni; while Dinesh Karthik hit a six off the last ball when five runs were needed in the final off Soumya Sarkar, to break Bangladeshi fans’ hearts.

India and Bangladesh gearing up for 1000th T20I match in men’s cricket

The India v Bangladesh game at Arun Jaitley Stadium will be the 1000th T20I in men’s cricket. Rohit Sharma’s Team India will aim to make it big in the landmark game. With Shakib Al Hasan not in the Bangladesh side, it will be a tough task ahead for the Tigers.

This historic encounter will be played at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi, an iconic ground as well. However, the condition and atmosphere in and around the ground have been an issue of contention given the level of pollution in the city. The overall air quality index (AQI) crossed the 400-mark on Wednesday this week, raising concerns among residents of the city.

This had led to environment activists urging BCCI to move the game outside the city, while the players said that they had no other option but to play the game. Bangladesh players and officials were seen wearing masks while having fielding drills in the ground, while head coach Russell Domingo admitted that they were experiencing trouble in breathing and felt dizzy but had no other choice to play in such conditions.

Rohit Sharma, the Indian captain, meanwhile said that he was not affected by the air and pollution and was ready to play whatever the conditions.

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