Bangladesh have turned again to Soumya Sarkar for next week’s three-match T20I series against Afghanistan in Sharjah after Litton Das was ruled out with a side strain. Wicketkeeper-batter Jaker Ali, who stood in during the Asia Cup, will keep the armband. The remainder of the squad is unchanged from last month’s tournament in the UAE.
Team physio Bayjedul Islam confirmed Litton’s absence but offered no comeback date. “He had missed the last two matches of the Asia Cup with a side strain. An MRI scan has revealed a grade-1 strain on the left abdominal muscle,” Bayjedul said. “He is undergoing recovery and will not be available for the T20 series. The medical team will continue to manage his rehab and monitor his progress.”
Soumya, 32, missed trips to the UAE and Pakistan earlier in the year with a hamstring problem and has not featured in a T20 international since December 2024 in the Caribbean. His recall provides an experienced top-order option and another part-time seam bowler on a surface that can hold up for stroke-play in the evening.
Jaker led Bangladesh in the last two Asia Cup fixtures but managed only single-digit scores while filling the designated finisher’s role. The middle order therefore stays under the microscope, with Towhid Hridoy, Shamim Hossain and Nurul Hasan expected to shoulder runs at the death.
Sharjah has not been especially kind to Bangladesh. They were beaten 2-1 by the UAE in May and lost a one-off against Afghanistan there in 2022. Head coach Chandika Hathurusingha has privately spoken of wanting tighter power-play bowling and a more flexible batting order, though he insists the wider plan remains sound. The three matches, scheduled for 2, 3 and 5 October, serve as Bangladesh’s final T20 assignment before squads are named for the next ICC event.
Squad:
Jaker Ali (capt), Tanzid Hasan, Parvez Hossain Emon, Saif Hassan, Towhid Hridoy, Shamim Hossain, Nurul Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Mahedi Hasan, Nasum Ahmed, Taskin Ahmed, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Mustafizur Rahman, Shoriful Islam, Mohammad Saifuddin, Soumya Sarkar.
Key talking points:
• Soumya’s experience against the new ball.
• Jaker’s leadership under pressure.
• Bowling balance on Sharjah’s slow, low pitches.
The schedule is tight, the margins smaller still, yet the management feel continuity is more useful than wholesale change. Afghanistan, on their adopted home turf, rarely give anything away; Bangladesh are banking on a recalled left-hander and a stand-in captain to change that narrative.
