India, the defending champions led by Suryakumar Yadav, enter the tournament as overwhelming favourites. Yet, even before a ball has been bowled, the event has been overshadowed by diplomatic tension and controversy.
The decision was taken during an ICC Board meeting on Wednesday, where a majority of members voted in favour of having a replacement team if Bangladesh maintained its stance.
The BCB issued a statement on Tuesday after a video conference with the ICC, maintaining that security concerns remain the primary reason behind its request to have Bangladesh’s matches moved out of India.
Kohli, who dominated the ODI rankings for more than three years through the late 2010s, last held the top spot in April 2021 before Pakistan’s Babar Azam overtook him.
Both teams’ dressing rooms emptied within seconds. The media box, a five-storey structure at the northern end of the venue, was also swiftly cleared as journalists rushed outside for safety.
India will be aiming to reassert their continental supremacy while an injury-hit Bangladesh will hope to shrug off stage fright when the two sides square off in the grand finale of the Asia Cup here Friday.
Mushfiqur was unlucky as he fell one short of what could have been his seventh ODI century but did enough to rescue Bangladesh.
Pakistan's biggest concern is the poor form of pace spearhead Mohammed Amir.
Ahead of Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan clash, here is everything you need to know.
Tamim Iqbal's selfless act for the team was also applauded by Twitterati.
