Bangladesh’s selectors have pressed the reset button after a flat Champions Trophy, recalling Litton Das and four others for next month’s three-match one-day series in Sri Lanka. Two vacancies were unavoidable – Mahmudullah has bowed out of international cricket and Mushfiqur Rahim has ended his ODI career – but the panel has gone further, tweaking every department.
Chief selector Gazi Ashraf Hossain explained that Litton’s return is linked to his recent appointment as national T20 captain, despite a run of just 35 ODI runs in eight knocks before being dropped late last year. “Litton Das was in a bad patch but time is the best healer. He is the T20 captain, so we can consider him till the next T20 World Cup,” Ashraf said. “If someone has to return to form, it is best to spend a long time in the middle. We feel that Litton can take his form from ODIs to T20Is.”
Alongside Litton, left-hander Mohammad Naim, middle-order batter Shamim Hossain, left-arm spinner Tanvir Islam and quick Hasan Mahmud all re-enter the frame. Out go Soumya Sarkar and Nasum Ahmed, both fit enough but, in the selectors’ eyes, needing a breather.
“Naim has shown that he can bat with the same intensity as our [recent] white-ball openers,” Ashraf noted, pointing to a healthy haul of runs in the Dhaka Premier League. Naim’s last ODI cap came in September 2023; Tanvir, meanwhile, is uncapped in the 50-over format, his international cricket limited to six T20s.
Fast bowling depth has been prioritised. Mustafizur Rahman and Taskin Ahmed are back from injuries, and rookie seamer Nahid Rana is being handled carefully. “We have included five fast bowlers in the ODI side as we have Mustafizur Rahman and Taskin Ahmed are returning from injuries. We are also mindful of Nahid Rana’s workload management, so we have kept enough options to choose from,” Ashraf said.
Soumya’s omission raised a few eyebrows, yet the medical file is a long one. “Soumya Sarkar has had three injuries in the last 12-15 months. He had an ACL injury against Sri Lanka last year. He had a finger injury in West Indies. Recently, he suffered a back spasm when we were considering him for the UAE series. He didn’t recover in time, so he couldn’t play any matches. We couldn’t keep him in the side against Pakistan. We want him to recover fully, and return to consideration.”
The series – on 2, 5 and 8 July – starts with back-to-back matches at Colombo’s R. Premadasa Stadium before shifting to Pallekele for the finale. Sri Lankan conditions traditionally offer a bit of early seam and later turn; Bangladesh’s mix of five quicks and two specialist spinners hints at flexible planning rather than wholesale gamble.
New captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz, still only 27 but already seasoned, fronts a batting group that has the raw flair of Tanzid Hasan and Parvez Hossain Emon at the top, plus the steadier heads of Najmul Hossain Shanto and Towhid Hridoy in the middle. Litton, likely to bat at three or four, could yet be the glue – or the spark – if the faith shown in him is repaid.
A brief look ahead: qualifying for the 2027 Champions Trophy has become more complex after the recent slip-up, so each ICC Super League point matters. Sri Lanka away is rarely straightforward for Bangladesh, yet a new-look side, minus two stalwarts, must start forging its next white-ball identity right now.
Bangladesh squad for Sri Lanka ODIs
Mehidy Hasan Miraz (capt), Tanzid Hasan, Parvez Hossain Emon, Mohammad Naim, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Towhid Hridoy, Litton Das, Jaker Ali, Shamim Hossain, Rishad Hossain, Tanvir Islam, Mustafizur Rahman, Taskin Ahmed, Hasan Mahmud, Nahid Rana
