IND vs BAN | Mahmudullah expects batting unit to step up to challenge India

Bangladesh will begin their tour of India by playing the first T20I on November 3 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. Shakib's ban has caused a lot of uncertainty in and around Bangladesh cricket. But skipper Mahmudullah too understands that Shakib's loss is a big one but he is not at all rattled by his sudden appointment and he still has complete faith in his squad that they will give India a tough fight.

"You can't fill the Shakib void because he wasn't made in one day. It's built over 12 years," he told CricBuzz.

"I don't think captaincy is a burden. I've done it before when Shakib was injured."

Mahmudullah had captained the Bangladesh team during the Nidahas Trophy when Shakib was recovering from a finger injury so he believes he has the experience to lead the side. With the absence of Shakib, Bangladesh batting will come under huge pressure. Since the last edition of the T20 World Cup, Bangladesh have won only one-third of the games that they played. this stat throws light on their batting woes and lack of big-hitting at the end. 

"Our fast bowling department is experienced and the onus is much more on our batsmen," he said.

"We have to be much more consistent in our batting and we have to put big scores on the board. We need to work on getting enough runs on the board and build a foundation for our bowlers," he added.

Mahmuddulah, however, is completely positive and believes in the youngsters present in the squad. He, as a skipper, will back the youngsters and will give them as much support as possible.

"The new players have our backing and I am confident they'll do well. They are under pressure but whenever you play international cricket, you have to walk in knowing there will be pressure. I am very hopeful that we've got it in us," Mahmudullah asserted.

Bangladesh have a dismal record as far as T20Is against India are concerned. they have come very close to beat them, with some of the instances being the T20 World Cup group game in 2016 and the Nidahas Trophy Final. Mahmudullah is well aware of this 8-0 scoreline that India have against his team and will try every possible bit to put an end to this losing streak.

"As you said, we've been close but we've never crossed the line. I hope we learn from past mistakes and be ready for those crunch moments in the game. We need to focus much more on our skills and execution," he concluded