Bangladesh’s test captain ​Najmul Hossain Shanto. File
| Photo Credit: ANI

India, the finalists of the 2023 edition of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup and winners of last year’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup will look to make an impact in the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy from the word go by getting one over Bangladesh in their tournament opener. The side are no strangers to success in the global event, having previously secured CT title wins in 2002 (co-winners with Sri Lanka) and 2013, as per a press release from ICC.

But this time around, Rohit Sharma’s side will be without their finest bowling asset and the ‘National Treasure’ as dubbed by batter Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, and have banked on a spin-heavy setup to get the job done for them in the tournament.

Their opponents first up are also good exponents of spin and have the capacity to dish out a surprise in big events. The Tigers will take inspiration from their 2007 50-over World Cup heroics against India and will back their experienced players to come good on Thursday.

*Recent form:

India: The tournament fancies enter the Champions Trophy in fine touch, after a wildly successful recent white-ball run against England. Hosts India clean-swept the visitors 3-0 in the ODI series that recently ended.

Before that, India handled England comfortably in the pair’s five-game T20I series, winning 4-1. Those seven wins, all in the last month, should give the squad confidence.

Bangladesh: Reading the form is not as straightforward with the Tigers. The national side had not played any cricket since December, when they toured the West Indies.

Bangladesh were comprehensively beaten in the three-match ODI series with the Windies, losing 3-0. They saved face somewhat by claiming all three T20Is in the Caribbean that followed the One-Day International cricket. In November, before they toured the West Indies, Bangladesh went down 2-1 to Afghanistan in an ODI series in the UAE.

Players in focus:

India: Arshdeep Singh

With Jasprit Bumrah unavailable for India, there will be an added spotlight on the team’s bowling attack. But heading into the tournament, there is optimism that 26-year-old left-armer Arshdeep Singh can handle new ball duties and potentially step into the incredibly large shoes left by Jasprit, who is recovering from a back injury. In nine ODIs of his career, he has taken 14 wickets at an average of 23.00.

Bangladesh: Mehidy Hasan Miraz

The 27-year-old all-rounder is at the peak of his powers and will need to deliver in all departments for the Tigers to make a dent at the Champions Trophy. From the aforementioned West Indies tour in December, Mehidy Hasan Miraz smoked 152 runs across three ODIs with an average of 50.66, striking at 84.91. He also claimed eight combined wickets across the T20I series in the Caribbean.

Squads:

India: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohd. Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, Varun Chakaravarthy.

Bangladesh: Nazmul Hossain Shanto (c), Soumya Sarkar, Tanzid Hasan, Tawhid Hridoy, Mushfiqur Rahim, MD Mahmud Ullah, Jaker Ali Anik, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Rishad Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Parvez Hossain Emon, Nasum Ahmed, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Nahid Rana.

Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto exuded confidence ahead of his team’s Champions Trophy opener against India, emphasising that his side has the firepower to challenge the two-time champions. With a blend of quality fast bowlers and dependable all-rounders, Shanto believes Bangladesh has what it takes to make a strong start in the tournament. “All departments have to click if we are to beat India. We have good memories against them, and if we execute our plans well, we have a good chance,” Shanto said in the pre-match press conference.

“We have some quality all-rounders, and we are depending on them. We are not overthinking. All teams in the tournament are capable of winning, and we fancy our chances,” he added.

One of Bangladesh’s biggest strengths heading into the tournament is their potent pace attack. The likes of Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, and young Nahid Rana, who has been impressive in his young career, having taken 20 wickets in six Tests and four scalps in three ODIs, give the team a well-rounded bowling unit, capable of exploiting the conditions in Dubai.

“We are very happy to have a fast bowler like Rana in the squad. If he plays, he will do the job for us. Our team has a good balance of spin and pace,” Shanto said.

Despite the absence of veteran all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan, who was left out after being suspended from bowling due to a suspected action, Shanto remains unfazed. The selectors chose not to pick Shakib solely as a batter, leaving Bangladesh without one of their most experienced players.

“Shakib’s absence is not a factor. Over the last couple of years, we have developed a strong pace attack. This is the best seam attack Bangladesh has had. We need to adjust quickly to the conditions here, as the pitches are not as high-scoring as in Pakistan. But we know we will get a lot of crowd support,” Shanto stated.

With Shakib unavailable, the onus will be on Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Mahmudullah to fill the void, both as experienced middle-order batters and contributors with the ball.

India will be without their pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, who was ruled out of the tournament due to a back injury. However, Shanto was quick to dismiss any notion that his team was focusing on an individual’s absence.

“We are not thinking about Bumrah or any other individual. India have a lot of quality players,” he remarked.

Bangladesh face with India at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Thursday, February 20, in what promises to be a thrilling Group A clash.

Bangladesh have left their experienced duo of Litton Das and Shakib Al Hasan out of the upcoming Champions Trophy 2025 squad. Bangladesh released a statement to announce the 15-member squad for next month’s highly-anticipated tournament. The high-profile axing of players comes on the back of Litton’s dry run of form. In the ODIs, the wicketkeeper batter has struggled to post a single fifty in his last 13 innings. During this run in the last seven innings, he has been dismissed for single-digit scores six times.

Shakib’s exclusion comes amid his suspension from bowling in ICC events. Due to an illegal bowling action, the 37-year-old was suspended from bowling in top-flight cricket. He recently failed the second test of independent assessment of his action.

Apart from Litton and Shakib, other notable exclusions in Bangladesh’s squad are all-rounder Afif Hossain and the pace duo of Shoriful Islam and Hasan Mahmud.

Experienced middle-order batter Mahmudullah has retained his place in the squad. Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Rishad Hossain will be the two frontline spinners for Bangladesh.

Najmul Hossain Shanto has returned to the ODI fold as the skipper of the side after missing the West Indies tour due to a hamstring injury last November. Other notable returnees in Bangladesh’s squad include Mushfiqur Rahim, Towhid Hridoy and Mustafizur Rahman.

The most notable inclusion in Bangladesh’s squad features Parvez Hossai Emon, who has been handed his maiden ODI call-up. The 22-year-old wicketkeeper has seven T20I outings under his belt, scoring 88 runs at an average of 12.57.

Young prodigy and pace gun Nahid Rana, who made his debut in the format in the recent series against the West Indies, has been included in the squad. In three ODI appearances, the Bangladesh tearaway has four scalps, averaging 31.50 with an economy of 4.72.

Bangladesh will face the last edition’s finalist in their campaign opener in Dubai on February 20.

Bangladesh squad for Champions Trophy: Najmul Hossain Shanto (capt), Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Towhid Hridoy, Soumya Sarkar, Tanzid Hasan, Mahmudullah, Jaker Ali, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Rishad Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Parvez Hossain, Nasum Ahmed, Tanzim Hasan, Nahid Rana.

New Delhi, Jan 2 (IANS) Bangladesh cricketer Najmul Hossain Shanto on Thursday stepped down as the captain of the national T20I team. The announcement was confirmed by BCB President Faruque Ahmed, who revealed that Shanto had informed the board of his decision, which was subsequently accepted. Despite relinquishing his role in T20Is, Shanto will continue to lead Bangladesh in Test and ODI cricket, reaffirming his importance in the team’s longer formats. Shanto’s resignation comes after months of speculation surrounding his role as an all-format captain.

Speaking to the Dhaka-based newspaper Prothom Alo, Faruque Ahmed stated, “Shanto has finally informed us that he will not continue as the T20I captain. We have accepted his decision. There are, however, no T20Is coming up, so we will not think about a new captain just yet. We have an understanding with Shanto that when he is fit, he will continue as the Test and ODI captain.”

The decision marks the end of Shanto’s T20I leadership stint, which began in February 2024 and saw mixed results, with challenges both on and off the field shaping his tenure.

Shanto’s tenure as an all-format captain began with high expectations following impressive performances in Test and ODI cricket. However, his reluctance to captain across formats was evident early on. In October 2024, Shanto had expressed his reservations about continuing as an all-format leader but was persuaded by the board to continue.

An injury during an ODI against Afghanistan in November complicated matters further, ruling Shanto out of the West Indies tour. During his absence, the captaincy responsibilities were split. Mehidy Hasan Miraz captained the Test and ODI teams, leading the side to a 1-1 draw in the Test series but a disappointing 3-0 loss in the ODIs.

Litton Das stepped in for the T20I series and impressed by leading Bangladesh to a 3-0 series win, reigniting discussions about Shanto’s suitability as an all-format captain.

Shanto’s record as T20I captain was marked by inconsistent team performances. Under his leadership, Bangladesh suffered bilateral series losses to Sri Lanka and the USA and exited in the Super Eight stage of the 2024 T20 World Cup without a win.

Individually, Shanto’s form in the shortest format took a hit. Despite showing promise after the 2022 T20 World Cup, he struggled as a leader, managing just one fifty in 24 matches while averaging 18.76. His struggles as a batter compounded the team’s challenges, and his resignation may allow him to focus on regaining his form.

Bangladesh’s immediate T20I future includes a likely three-match series against Zimbabwe in March 2025, for which the board has not yet named a captain. However, Litton Das emerges as a potential frontrunner following his successful stint in the West Indies.

While Litton impressed with his captaincy, his recent struggles with the bat in white-ball cricket could make the board consider other candidates like Mehidy Hasan Miraz, who has shown leadership potential in Tests and ODIs. The board’s decision will likely hinge on performances in the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), where players have an opportunity to stake their claim for leadership roles.

Afghanistan vs Bangladesh Live Scorecard 2nd ODI© X/@ACB

Afghanistan vs Bangladesh Live Score Updates 1st ODI© AFP

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has named Najmul Hossain Shanto as captain for the upcoming three-match ODI series against Afghanistan in Sharjah next week, in a shakeup following Shanto’s request to step down from all-format captaincy. The decision came after a discussion between Shanto and BCB president Faruque Ahmed on Thursday following Bangladesh’s recent Test in Chattogram. Though Shanto will lead the squad against Afghanistan, the BCB has yet to announce a long-term decision on his captaincy or the squad for the West Indies tour later in November, where Bangladesh will play two Tests, three ODIs, and three T20Is.

As Shanto’s vice-captain for the Afghanistan series, Mehidy Hasan Miraz is seen as a leading candidate for future captaincy, with Taskin Ahmed also considered a strong option. Both players are in the ODI squad for the Afghanistan series and have shown leadership potential. Taskin, with his pace and experience, has been a mainstay in Bangladesh’s bowling attack, while Miraz’s all-round abilities make him a versatile asset.

The 22-year-old uncapped pacer Nahid Rana is set to make his debut in the ODI format. Known for his impressive pace and bounce, Rana has taken 26 wickets in List A cricket at an average of 16.46, adding fresh talent to the squad. Also returning to the team are opener Zakir Hasan and left-arm spinner Nasum Ahmed. Zakir, who has played a single ODI and 12 Tests, will add depth to the top order, while Nasum brings spin options, having last represented Bangladesh in the 2022 World Cup.

The squad, however, will be missing a few key names. Shakib Al Hasan, one of Bangladesh’s star players, has voluntarily stepped down from consideration for this series. Litton Das, sidelined by a fever that kept him out of the recent Chattogram Test, is also unavailable. Anamul Haque, Taijul Islam, and Hasan Mahmud, who is recovering from a shoulder injury, will not join the team either.

The Bangladesh squad will depart for Dubai in two groups over the weekend, with matches scheduled for November 6, 9, and 11 at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.

Bangladesh’s ODI squad

Soumya Sarkar, Tanzid Hasan, Zakir Hasan, Nazmul Hossain Shanto (capt), Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah Riyad, Towhid Hridoy, Jaker Ali, Mehidy Hassan Miraz, Rishad Hossain, Nasum Ahmed, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Shoriful Islam, Nahid Rana

Bangladesh vs South Africa 2nd Test Day 2, Live Score Updates© AFP