Bangladesh make major changes to T20I squad for Sri Lanka series

Bangladesh have announced their 16-member squad for the upcoming three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka, making five major changes from their last series. One of the biggest surprises is the omission of former T20I captain Najmul Hossain Shanto, who has been left out of the squad entirely.

Shanto, who stepped down from captaincy earlier this year, played just one match across Bangladesh’s last two T20I series against the UAE and Pakistan. His form in 2024 has been disappointing, averaging only 18.84 with the bat in 21 T20Is, scoring just one half-century. This marks a clear drop from his 2023 performance, where he averaged 31.14 in 10 innings with a strike rate of 119.78.

Replacing him is left-handed opener Mohammad Naim, who returns to the squad after a strong domestic season. Naim, with 35 T20Is under his belt, was the top scorer in both the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) and the National Cricket League (NCL) T20 competitions. He scored 827 runs at an average of 37.59 and a strike rate of 140.40, including one century and six fifties.

In the fast bowling department, Taskin Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman return after recovering from injuries. Both recently played in the first ODI against Sri Lanka. All-rounder Mohammad Saifuddin has also been recalled after over a year. He had taken a break from cricket in August last year but made a strong comeback, picking up 37 wickets in the BPL and Dhaka Premier League (DPL).

Shoriful Islam, who suffered a groin injury during the T20I series against Pakistan in May, has been retained in the squad.

In the spin department, left-arm spinner Nasum Ahmed replaces Tanvir Islam as the selectors continue to try out different spin options in white-ball cricket.

The three T20Is will be played on:

• July 10 in Pallekele
• July 13 in Dambulla
• July 16 in Colombo

Bangladesh T20I squad:

Litton Das (captain, wicketkeeper), 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