Najmul Hossain Shanto ruled out of Asian Games 2026 due to illness

Bangladesh's top-order batter Najmul Hossain Shanto has been ruled out of the Asian Games 2026 men's cricket competition, team physio Bayjedul Islam Khan confirmed on Monday.

According to Khan, Shanto had been suffering from fever since his flight from Dhaka to here, which has made him "weak".

The 28-year-old consequently underwent blood tests, which confirmed the presence of some infection agents in his body, while he tested negative for either influenza or Covid-19.

"Shanto had fever since his flight from Dhaka. It is a low-grade fever, but it has been going up and down till now," Islam said.

"Fever has made him weak. He has undergone a blood test as it is now four days for the fever. He has some infection agents in his body, but otherwise he is negative for influenza and Covid-19," he added.

Khan further shared that Najmul Hossain Shanto was unlikely to recover in time for the competition, due to end on October 3, and thus the Bangladesh management was "sending" him back.

"He won't be able to recover in time for the end of the competition, so he won't be available for the entire event. That's why we are sending him home."

The confirmation on Shanto's unavailability comes on the eve of Bangladesh's Asian Games 2026 campaign opener, a quarter-final clash with Group B toppers Malaysia, scheduled to be played at the Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin.

For the unversed, Bangladesh were one of the four teams to enter direct qualification into the quarter-finals, alongside Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, on the virtue of being the best-ranked sides.