IND vs BAN | Was never ready for captaincy, insists Mominul Haque

Shakib Al Hasan's ban came as a shock for Bangladesh cricket, but more so, it forced them out of their comfort zone. With the Indian tour lurking behind, they had to take the immediate situation into account and appointed Mominul Haque as Test captain and Riyad Mahmudullah as the T20I captain. Haque's appointment came as a surprise because both Mahmudullah and Mushfiqur Rahim are a part of the Test team and the former was really surprised by that too.

"I was never ready [for captaincy] and it was totally unexpected. Never thought that I would be captain of the Bangladesh team, the Test team. But however, I have got it, Alhamdulillah. I never thought captaincy is any kind of extra pressure or responsibility because if I think that way then certainly it will be extra pressure. The way I've played before to score runs and play for the team, I am trying to play like that,'' Mominul said in Dhaka on Wednesday, reported Cricbuzz.

"If I worry too much [about captaincy] it will affect me. If I think I have a lot of responsibilities as the captain and I have to pull the team forward then certainly it will create some pressure. And if I play as if I have to make runs for the team just as a batsman then probably it would not have the same effect,'' he added.

It took a lot of convincing by the Bangladesh Cricket Board to its players for the Day/Night Test in Kolkata, and as the BCB agreed, the Eden Test on November 22 is going to be a historic affair. Haque thinks the Test allows them the time and opportunity to use the platform as a good opportunity.

"I think this is a great opportunity. We have not played a Test under floodlights or with a pink ball before, so we think this is a good opportunity for us. If we can play good cricket, it will be a great," said Mominul.

Virat Kohli has been rested for the limited-overs series but will make a comeback to the set-up for the Test series that starts on November 14 in Indore. Mominul cherishes the rivalry that the Bangladeshi players share with the Indian but added that playing against Kohli will be a thrilling experience for him.

"There is a lot of thrill [going to toss with him] because I think he is the best player in the world and the number one batsman in all formats. If I think in that way then it will be quite exciting," he said.