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India favourites vs Bangladesh in Asia Cup final (Preview)
Dubai, Sep 27 (IANS) Defending champions India are the favourites to lift the Asia Cup trophy for the record seventh time when they face a confident Bangladesh in the final at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium here on Friday.
For India, the last-ball draw against Afghanistan in their final Super Four encounter on Tuesday will serve as an eye opener despite all the top guns, including skipper Rohit Sharma and his in-form opening partner Shikhar Dhawan were rested for the inconsequential tie.
Chasing a competitive 253, India under Mahendra Singh Dhoni got off to a flier from the new opening pair of Lokesh Rahul (60) and Ambati Rayudu (57) before a mini collapse, coupled with a few run-outs and umpiring errors, eventually resulted in a tie.
With both Rohit and Shikhar set to return to the playing XI, and Rahul and Rayudu in equally top form, it will be interesting to see if the Indian team management decides to play Rahul in the middle order.
In such a scenario, the axe could be either on Dinesh Karthik or Kedar Jadhav, but the latter’s part-time off-spinning ability gives him an upper hand.
Going into the final, India, who made as many as five changes in their tie against Afghanistan, will be boosted by the return of the regulars, especially the new ball pair of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah, who were dearly missed in the death overs.
India will also hold a psychological advantage over the Mashrafe Mortaza-led team after their seven-wicket win in their first Super Four tie of the ongoing Asia Cup.
Bangladesh, who defeated Pakistan in their do-or-die Super Four clash on Wednesday, will battle against all odds, including injuries to a few key players in their attempt to lift the trophy for the first time. Bangladesh finished runners-up twice — to Pakistan in 2012 and to India in 2016.
Bangladesh also had been handicapped by injuries to some of their key players. On the opening day, opener Tamim Iqbal was ruled out with a wrist fracture, then the finger injury of experienced al-rounder Shakib Al Hasan has resurfaced again.
But on the positive side, former skipper Mushfiqur Rahim, who is the second highest run-scorer in the tournament so far, belted a brilliant 99 against Pakistan to strengthen Bangladesh’s shaky middle order.
The bowling department will be once again spearheaded by the skipper Mortaza and left-armer Mustafizur Rahman. Mustafizur, who has been off-colour for most part of the tournament, came back to form against Pakistan when he scalped four wickets for 43 runs.
In the absence of the spin spearhead in Shakib, off-spinners Mehidy Hasan and Mahmudullah will be Mortaza’s go-to bowlers in the middle overs.
Squads:
India: Rohit Sharma (captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Ambati Rayudu, Dinesh Karthik, MS Dhoni (wk), Kedar Jadhav, Ravindra Jadeja, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Manish Pandey, Siddarth Kaul, Lokesh Rahul and Deepak Chahar.
Bangladesh: Masrafe Bin Mortaza (captain), Shakib Al Hasan, Tamim Iqbal, Mohammad Mithun, Litton Kumar Das, Mushfiqur Rahim, Ariful Haque, Mahmudullah, Mosaddek Hossain Saikat, Nazmul Hossain Shanto, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Nazmul Islam Apu, Rubel Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman and Abu Haider Rony.
–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.