Bangladesh make five changes to squad for Sri Lanka T20I series
Najmul Hossain Shanto now finds himself completely out of the squad after steeping down as T20I captain
Bangladesh have made five changes to their T20I squad for the upcoming three-match series against Sri Lanka, with top-order batter Najmul Hossain Shanto among those omitted.
Shanto, who featured in Bangladesh’s previous T20I series against the UAE and Pakistan in May, played just one of the six matches.
His exclusion follows a disappointing run in 2024, where he managed only 18.84 across 21 T20Is, with a solitary half-century. This marks a stark contrast to his performance in 2023, where he scored 218 runs in 10 innings at an average of 31.14 and a strike rate of 119.78.
After stepping down from T20I captaincy in January, he now finds himself completely out of the squad.
Left-handed opener Mohammad Naim has been recalled in Shanto’s place. Naim, who has played 35 T20Is, has impressed in the ongoing 2024–25 domestic season.
He was the highest run-scorer in both the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) and the National Cricket League (NCL) T20s, amassing 827 runs at an average of 37.59 and a strike rate of 140.40, including one century and six fifties.
In the bowling department, the pace duo of Taskin Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman make their return after recovering from injuries. Both featured in the first ODI against Sri Lanka on Wednesday.
Mohammad Saifuddin also returns to the squad after more than a year. The 28-year-old was left out of last year’s T20 World Cup following a poor series against Zimbabwe.
He took a two-month break from cricket in August but has since bounced back, claiming 37 wickets across the BPL and Dhaka Premier League (DPL).
Shoriful Islam, who picked up a groin niggle during the second T20I against Pakistan in May, has been retained.
Meanwhile, in the spin department, Nasum Ahmed replaces Tanvir Islam as the selectors continue to explore options among left-arm spinners in the white-ball setup.
The three T20Is will be played on July 10 in Pallekele, July 13 in Dambulla, and July 16 in Colombo.
Bangladesh T20I Squad:
Litton Das (capt, wk), Tanzid Hasan, Parvez Hossain Emon, Mohammad Naim, Towhid Hridoy, Jaker Ali, Shamim Hossain, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Rishad Hossain, Mahedi Hasan, Nasum Ahmed, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Shoriful Islam, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Mohammad Saifuddin.
In: Mohammad Naim, Nasum Ahmed, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Mohammad Saifuddin
Out: Khaled Ahmed, Tanvir Islam, Hasan Mahmud, Soumya Sarkar, Najmul Hossain Shanto
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