Dhoni's Fitness a Concern as India Take on Bangladesh

Dhaka: India enter the final phase of their preparations for next month's World Twenty20 with the Asia Cup starting on Wednesday but a cloud of uncertainty over skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni's availability threatens to disturb the side's momentum going into the tournament-opener against Bangladesh.

Dhoni has suffered a muscle spasm during the team's training session on Monday, prompting the BCCI to rush Parthiv Patel as his back-up.

The continental championship will be played in a Twenty20 format from the usual ODI keeping the World T20 in mind and the need for the Asian teams to get some much-needed match time before the marquee event starts next month.

For India, who are considered as title contenders, a good Asia Cup performance will give them the much-needed boost going into the World T20.

The Indians have started their T20 preparations in right earnest having won back-to-back series against Australia 'Down Under' and Sri Lanka at home.

In the six T20 internationals played this year, India have won five of them with the only defeat coming against Sri Lanka on an unusual Pune pitch in the last series.

Momentum will be key from now onwards and Dhoni's men will be keen to seize the initial advantage even though it won't be easy by any means against a Bangladesh side, which will be more than a handful on home soil.

Bangladesh's strength is their bowling attack with Mustafizur, Taskin Ahmed and Al-Amin Hossain expected to pose a lot of challenge for the Indian batsmen.

With a handsome IPL contract, Mustafizur may again intimidate the Indian batsmen with Taskin and Al-Amin for support.

Not to forget the enormous experience of skipper Mashrafe Mortaza and all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan. The duo on their day along with former captain Mushfiqur Rahim could tilt the scales in home team's favour.

Left-handed batsman Soumya Sarkar, World Cup hero Mahmudullah make it a decent batting line-up for Bangladesh.

Teams from

India: MS Dhoni (captain and wk), Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli (vice-capt), Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, Hardik Pandya, Ashish Nehra, Ravichandran Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Ajinkya Rahane, Harbhajan Singh, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Pawan Negi, Parthiv Patel (wk).

Bangladesh: Mashrafe Mortaza (captain), Imrul Kayes, Nurul Hasan (wk), Soumya Sarkar, Nasir Hosain, Shabbir Rahaman, Mahmudullah Riyadh, Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Shakib Al Hasan, Al-Amin Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahaman, Abu Hider, Mohammed Mithun, Arafat Sunny.

Head to head: India and Bangladesh played only T20 during the 2009 World T20, India won by 25-run

Match facts
Wendesday February 2016 (day/night)
Start time 1330 GMT (19:30 local, 7pm IST)