"I never sledge him because he gets pumped up" - Mushfiqur Rahim on Virat Kohli's competitiveness ahead of India-Bangladesh 2023 World Cup clash

Bangladesh wicket-keeper batsman Mushfiqur Rahim said sledging Virat Kohli is the last thing on his mind to dismiss the star batter as it only pumps him up further to play a big knock.

India and Bangladesh square off in one of the highly-anticipated encounters of the 2023 World Cup in Pune on Thursday, October 19. Arguably the most accomplished modern batter in ODIs, Kohli recently became the fastest to 13,000 runs in the format and is only two centuries behind Sachin Tendulkar at 47.

The 34-year-old also boasts a stellar record against Bangladesh, with an average of over 67, including four centuries and three half-centuries in 15 ODI games.

Speaking to Star Sports ahead of the crunch game, Rahim felt it was important not to sledge Kohli and get rid of him quickly.

"Some batters in the world love sledging and get pumped up by that. So I never sledge him because he gets pumped up by that. I always tell my bowlers to get rid of him as early as possible," said Rahim.

Rahim added that Kohli routinely sledges him when he comes out to bat because of undying competitiveness and reluctance to lose any match.

"Whenever I play against him, he always tries to sledge me every time I go in to bat because he is a really competitive guy and he doesn't want to lose any cricket match. I really love that rivalry with him and the challenge that comes with facing him and India, added Rahim.

Rahim has been no slouch with the bat against India, playing some crucial knocks, including a half-century in Bangladesh's stunning victory in the 2007 World Cup.

Team India has been in red-hot form in the ongoing World Cup with three wins in as many games, while Bangladesh have suffered two straight losses following their opening victory against Afghanistan.

India and Bangladesh will meet for the 5th time in ODI World Cups

Virat Kohli and Shakib Al Hasan will be the marquee matchup in the Ind-Bang clash.

Although the overall rivalry between India and Bangladesh is relatively one-sided, with the Men in Blue holding a 31-8 edge in ODIs, the Tigers have challenged them in previous World Cups.

The sides first met in the 2007 edition, where Bangladesh caused one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history by stunning the Indians with a five-wicket victory in the West Indies. That game is still fresh in the memory of Indian fans as it went a long way in eliminating Team India from Super Eight contention.

However, Team India re-asserted their dominance in the 2011 World Cup with a thumping 87-run victory on the back of centuries by Virender Sehwag and Virat Kohli.

Perhaps the meeting between the sides with the most stakes was the 2015 World Cup quarterfinal at the MCG, where Rohit Sharma's masterclass led India to a 109-run win. India completed a hattrick of wins in ODI World Cups over their Asian rivals in 2019 when another Rohit Sharma century led to victory by 28 runs in Edgbaston.