Bangladesh has announced a 15-member squad for the upcoming three-match T20I series against Zimbabwe, with Towhid Hridoy set to take the reins as captain once again. Hridoy, who has played 62 T20Is and racked up 995 runs for Bangladesh, will lead the team in the absence of their regular skipper. The selectors had to make some adjustments after Litton Das, all-rounder Mehidy Hasan Miraz, and fast bowlers Taskin Ahmed and Hasan Mahmud became unavailable due to their commitments in the Lanka Premier League. The squad also features a few familiar faces as Bangladesh aims to solidify their combinations ahead of the series in Bulawayo.
This marks Hridoy’s second stint as T20I captain for Bangladesh. He first took charge during last month’s three-match home series against Australia while Litton was sidelined with a calf injury. Although Bangladesh didn’t win that series, the team management still believes in Hridoy’s leadership as they head into the Zimbabwe tour.
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How Will Bangladesh Perform Without the Experience of Litton Das on Zimbabwe Tour?
Litton Das will be sitting out the T20I series against Zimbabwe after receiving a No Objection Certificate (NOC) to participate in the Lanka Premier League. He’s also on the mend from a Grade 1 left calf injury that kept him from playing in the recent T20I series against Australia. The good news is that he’s expected to be back in top shape before Bangladesh’s ODI matches later in the tour. Alongside Litton, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taskin Ahmed, and Hasan Mahmud have also been granted NOCs, which has opened up spots in the squad and led to Hridoy being named captain.
In other news, the selectors have brought back Mosaddek Hossain, Yasir Ali, and Mohammad Saifuddin. Mosaddek earned his spot after a solid performance, scoring 157 runs in the recent ODI series against Australia. Yasir is making a comeback to the T20I team after nearly three years, adding some much-needed firepower to the middle order. Saifuddin is back as Bangladesh continues to look for a dependable pace-bowling all-rounder. Unfortunately, Shamim Hossain has been left out due to a tough stretch with the bat.
The three-match T20I series kicks off on July 15 at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo, with the second and third matches set for July 17 and July 19 at the same venue. Before diving into the T20Is, Bangladesh will take on Zimbabwe in a three-match ODI series starting on July 6. The visitors are looking to bounce back after a rough start to the tour, having faced a heavy innings-and-85-run defeat in the one-off Test in Harare. The T20I squad features Towhid Hridoy (captain), Parvez Hossain Emon, Tanzid Hasan, Saif Hassan, Mosaddek Hossain, Yasir Ali, Nurul Hasan, Mahedi Hasan, Nasum Ahmed, Rishad Hossain, Shoriful Islam, Mustafizur Rahman, Nahid Rana, Mohammad Saifuddin, and Abdul Gaffar Saqlain.
