The Bangladesh tour of India is all set to kickstart from the 3rd of November with the first T20I to be played at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. Both teams have displayed a lot of competitiveness on the field over the past few years but the record remains in favour of India - having not lost to the Bangla tigers in all their previous 9 meetings.

Here are some of the talking points ahead of the first game:

Rohit Sharma back to don captaincy

With Virat Kohli being rested, Rohit Sharma will be leading the side in the T20I series. Apart from winning four IPL titles, the 32-year-old has also led India to multiple series wins. Against a young Bangladeshi side, Rohit will be keen on maintaining his reputation. He is also just seven runs short of becoming the highest run-scorer in T20 internationals and when he takes the field on Sunday, he will also become India’s most-capped player in the shortest format.

Mahmudullah to the rescue

In the absence of Shakib Al Hasan, the visitors are not only missing their regular skipper but also a valuable all-rounder in their lineup. Mahmudullah may not have a great record being at the helm but it is a difficult time for Bangladesh cricket and a victory here will help lift the team’s spirit. He’s also likely to remain the captain as his team heads Down Under for the T20 World Cup next year.

Fierce encounters but India unbeaten

Over the years, India and Bangladesh have contested in some nail-biting encounters. Whether it was the Nidahas Trophy final or the famous WT20 encounter from the 2016 edition, the Men in Blue have always managed to snatch a victory from the jaws of defeat. With eight losses and no wins against India in T20Is, Bangladesh will be hoping to end their winning drought and seek revenge.

Mission T20 World Cup

With less than a year to go for the T20 World Cup, both teams will have one eye at sorting out their team combinations ahead of the big event. Whether it’s KL Rahul or youngsters like Shivam Dube and Sanju Samson, everyone stands a fantastic opportunity to make a strong statement to the selectors. For Bangladesh, Taijul Islam and Abu Hider will want to prove their mettle.

Spin to dominate

India have four spinners in their squad in the likes of Krunal Pandya, Yuzvendra Chahal, Rahul Chahar and Washington Sundar. The pitch is likely to assist turn but both teams know that won’t be the case in Australia during the T20 World Cup where only two or three spinners will be required in the squad. Krunal with his recent performances has been impressive. It will be an opportunity for a returning Chahal to make his case stronger but the experienced leggie will be challenged by Rahul Chahar, who has had an impressive year with the ball.

As for Bangladesh, they boast of Mehidy Hasan, Arafat Sunny, Taijul Islam, Mosaddek Hossain and many more. Hence, it will be interesting to see who all make it to the final squad.

With the history shared between both teams, it will be interesting to see who emerges on top of this battle. The first T20I will begin at 7.30 PM on Sunday.