The 4th of the five-match T20i series between the Bangladesh Mens Cricket Team and their Zimbabwean counterparts is scheduled to take place today at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur.
Having secured a 3-0 lead in the series, the Tigers are poised to field an even stronger squad, including star players like Shakib Al Hasan, Mustafizur Rahman and Soumya Sarkar.
The match is set to commence at 6:00pm (BST).
The hosts are expected to make at least three changes to their winning combination, bringing in Shakib, Mustafiz and Soumya. Soumya may replace another left-hander Tanzid Tamim in the opening slot to partner with Liton Das, who has been struggling to regain form.
Bangladesh are eagerly anticipating Liton finding his rhythm before the World Cup. Shakib is likely to replace Tanvir Islam, while Mustafiz is expected to play in place of Tanzim Sakib.
Tawhid Hridoy has been in superb form with the bat, leading the series in scoring and claiming the Player of the Match award twice. Jaker Ali Anik and Mahmudullah have also performed well, but Bangladesh is concerned about the form of their top three batters including skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto. They might be hopeful for an improvement with the inclusion of Soumya.
Mohammad Saifuddin and Taskin Ahmed are in outstanding form with the ball, and the Tigers pace bowling unit is expected to be sharper with the inclusion of Mustafiz, while Shakib will complement as a spinner alongside leg-spinner Rishad Hossain.
On the other hand, the tour has been a nightmare for Zimbabwean batters, with early collapses in all three previous clashes and none of the top five batters contributing significantly, except for a 31-run innings in the third match from opener Tadiwanashe Marumani.
Their late middle order however, has contributed nicely, especially Johnathan Campbell, Wellington Masakadza and Faraz Akram. Nevertheless, they will be hoping for contributions from Joylord Gumbie, Brian Bennett, Sikandar Raza and Clive Madande. Zimbabwean bowlers, particularly the pacer duo Blessing Muzarabani and Luke Jongwe, have performed fabulously so far.
SBNCS generally provides a sporting wicket with assistance for both batters and spinners. The weather forecast shows a 90 percent possibility of thunderstorms in Dhaka on Friday afternoon and considering the overcast conditions, the side winning the toss may prefer to bat first.
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