Najmul Hossain Shanto will captain Bangladesh in both ODIs and T20Is during their upcoming tour of New Zealand in December. Shanto, currently leading the Test side in the absence of regular captain Shakib Al Hasan and his deputy Litton Das, will continue to lead the team in the limited-overs formats as well.
Chief selector Minhajul Abedin revealed that Shakib sustained a fractured finger, which will take longer to heal. Further evaluation of his injury will take place after a second x-ray on December 8. Additionally, Mahmudullah and Taskin have shoulder injuries, while Ebadot Hossain is still recovering from knee surgery.
Injuries have also affected the squad selection, with Nasum Ahmed and Mahedi Hasan unavailable for the ODI side. In their place, Afif Hossain, Soumya Sarkar, Rishad Hossain, and newcomer Rakibul Hasan have been included, with Soumya’s return being a significant surprise.
Bangladesh will play three ODIs on December 17, 20, and 23, followed by three T20Is on December 27, 29, and 31. The squad for both the ODIs and T20Is has been finalized, with some notable changes compared to previous selections.
The Bangladesh ODI squad includes Najmul Hossain Shanto (capt), Tanzid Hasan, Anamul Haque, Tawhid Hridoy, Mushfiqur Rahim, Litton Das, Afif Hossain, Soumya Sarkar, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Mustafizur Rahman, Shoriful Islam, Tanzim Hasan, Hasan Mahmud, Rishad Hossain, and Rakibul Hasan.
Meanwhile, the T20I squad features Najmul Hossain Shanto (capt), Litton Das, Rony Talukdar, Tawhid Hridoy, Shamim Hossain, Afif Hossain, Soumya Sarkar, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Mahedi Hasan, Mustafizur Rahman, Shoriful Islam, Hasan Mahmud, Rishad Hossain, Tanvir Islam, and Tanzim Hasan.
Overall, Bangladesh faces a challenging tour of New Zealand, and the squad composition reflects the team’s response to the various challenges posed by injuries and other circumstances.