Spotlight on bench strength in dead-rubber

After passing up two opportunities in the series, the Bangladesh team management is finally set to experiment when they face the Netherlands in the dead-rubber third and final T20I at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium today.

Although the ongoing T20I series forms part of the Tigers' preparations for the upcoming Asia Cup T20I—scheduled to begin on 9 September—head coach Phil Simmons and skipper Litton Das had both downplayed the importance of results in the build-up. However, their cautious approach in the first two games told a different story.

Despite winning the toss in both matches, Bangladesh opted to field first on each occasion, favouring the conditions for chasing due to the dew factor. They comfortably chased down modest targets in both encounters, sealing their third successive T20I series victory. With the series already secured, the team now has the luxury to focus on experimentation—both in strategy and squad selection—for the final match.

According to a team official, Shamim Hossain—who had been recovering from a fever and missed the first two matches—is now fully fit and available for selection in the final game.

As today's fixture is Bangladesh's last before their opening Group B Asia Cup match against Hong Kong on 11 September in Abu Dhabi, players such as Nurul Hasan Sohan and Mohammad Saifuddin could also be given opportunities to prove themselves ahead of the team's departure for the UAE on 7 September.

On Tuesday afternoon, four Bangladeshi players—Jaker Ali, Towhid Hridoy, Shamim Hossain and Rishad Hossain—took part in an optional practice session at the Sylhet Outer Stadium.

Meanwhile, the Netherlands will be eager to salvage some pride from the final match after suffering heavy defeats in the opening two games.

"I think there's always disappointment, but we're here to learn. We're here to give the guys their experience. But with all the work they put in, it is pretty disappointing—not just for us, but for them as well," Netherlands batting coach Heino Kuhn told The Daily Star yesterday.

"We've beaten some big teams and are looking to continue that journey—hopefully starting tomorrow again," he concluded.