Bangladesh’s Pace Attack Dented: Shoriful Injury Casts Shadow Over T20 World Cup Campaign

The defending champions of the T20 World Series, Bangladesh, have been jolted with a massive setback, with an injury to their premier fast bowler, Shoriful Islam. Their gangling fast bowler Nasir hurt his hand during their warm-up with reigning champions India and is in serious doubt ahead of the tournament opener against Sri Lanka.

Wound Suffered

During the Warm-Up Against India in New York, Shoriful looked impressive with the ball, taking one wicket by conceding just 26 runs in 3.5 overs. Unfortunately for the seamer, his spell came to an end when he suffered an injury to his left palm while bowling against Hardik Pandya. 

Just when he tries to bowl it on his toe, Hardik manages to get underneath a yorker, and the next moment, he sends the ball back at the bowler with raw power. The blow caused instant swelling and forced Shoriful to be taken out of the field. He was later examined and six stitches were to be applied between the palm and the index finger.

Healing Period Brings In Doubt of Playing

The injury will take a minimum of one week for healing, putting Shoriful’s chances of playing the opening game, which is against Sri Lanka on June 7th in Dallas, seriously in doubt. His injury might be a big blow to the Bangladesh bowling department, considering that he is one of the fast bowling leads, along with Mustafizur Rahman, Taskin Ahmed, and Tanzim Shakib.

On the contrary, in anticipation of injuries, Bangladesh had included pacer Hasan Mahmud in the squad as one of the two travel reserves. This strategic move, with foresight, can be a possible replacement if Shoriful fails to recover in time. Hasan Mahmud could be accommodated into the 15-man squad if Shoriful’s rest phase is more extended than initially expected.

Bangladesh Cricket Board Yet to Make Official Announcement

Currently, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has not officially announced the seriousness of Shoriful’s injury or the impacts the injury might have on his tournament. Now, fans and analysts will have to wait for a proper confirmation from BCB to assess how bad the situation is for the Bangladesh side.

Bangladesh didn’t have a great time in their only warm-up match when they faced India, falling to a 60-run defeat. Now, this uncertainty over Shoriful’s availability piles further misery on their T20 World Cup campaign. His absence is going to play a massive role in the team’s performance, as he is the leading pace bowler. They need to get adapted soon if Shoriful fails to regain his full fitness.

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