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Photograph: (Source: Times of India)
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The 16-man team for Bangladesh's forthcoming three-match Twenty20 International series against Sri Lanka has been revealed. The series is scheduled to start on July 10. Former captain Najmul Hossain Shanto was notably left off the team.
Following a dismal 2024 campaign in which he averaged a pitiful 18.84 in 21 Twenty20 Internationals and managed only one half-century, Hossain Shanto was left off the Bangladesh T20I squad. In comparison, he had a better showing in 2023, scoring 218 runs in 10 innings at a strike rate of 119.78 and an average of 31.14. In addition to losing his T20I captaincy in January, he has now been removed from the team entirely.
Najmul Hossain Shanto Dropped from Bangladesh:
Mohammad Naim, the left-handed opener, has been called up to replace him. Naim, who has been dominating the BPL and NCL T20S with 827 runs at an average of 37.59 and a strike rate of 140.40, has been in scorching form on the local circuit. In addition to the southpaw, players from the previous T20I lineup, including Soumya Sarkar, Hasan Mahmud, Tanvir Islam, Nahid Rana, and Khaled Ahmed, have also been omitted.
An unburdened Najmul Hossain Shanto might just be the best thing for Bangladesh cricket, reckons Mohammad Isam
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) June 30, 2025
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Taskin Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman, who both recovered from injuries and played in the first ODI against Sri Lanka, return to the pace bowling department. Additionally, after more than a year, Mohammad Saifuddin has been called back to the team. The 28-year-old fast bowler Saifuddin was previously passed over for last year's T20 World Cup after a subpar showing against Zimbabwe. He has now taken 37 wickets in the BPL and Dhaka Premier League (DPL) after taking a hiatus from cricket.
Shoriful Islam has been kept in the squad despite suffering a slight groin injury during the second Twenty20 International match against Pakistan in May. Tanvir Islam is replaced in the spin department by Nasum Ahmed, suggesting that the selectors are still considering their options for left-arm spin in the shorter formats. The second Twenty20 International is set for July 13 in Kandy, while the final Twenty20 International will be held in Colombo on July 16 to wrap up Bangladesh's tour to Sri Lanka.
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