‘The pressure is on the Indian players’

Bangladesh captain Jamal Bhuiyan spoke to the media today before tomorrow’s 2022 World Cup Qualifier match against India and the skipper said that the pressure will be on India to perform in front of their home crowd.

There will be an expectant crowd at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan, which has a capacity of 60,000. The pressure will be huge and Jamal was banking on it.

“I think the pressure is on the Indian players. If they don’t perform, the crowd is going to come against them,” Jamal said.

Bangladesh are at the foot of the group after losing to Afghanistan and Qatar in their first two matches but they put in a good performance in their 2-0 defeat to Qatar. Jamal said that he would want his team to be relaxed.

“I am gonna say to my players that you should just go out there and enjoy. Maybe you will never get this chance again. Let’s take the three points. Ofcourse India are the favourites,” he said of the message he was going to give his players.

India and Bangladesh last played at the ground back in 1985 ahead of the Mexico World Cup. That game had ended 2-1 in favour of India. Ashish Bhadra scored for Bangladesh in the 15th minute before India equalised through Bikash Panji’s 36th minute strike. Substitute Camillo Gonsalves found the winner in the 40th minute.

India will be playing their first match in Kolkata since 2011 and the euphoria around the match has been immense with a mad rush for tickets among football lovers in the city and suburban areas.