Bangladesh have drafted uncapped top-order batter Sarmin Sultana into a 15-strong squad for the three T20Is against Sri Lanka, starting in Sylhet on Tuesday. The 29-year-old comes in for Fargana Hoque, the only change from the side that toured South Africa in December.
“It’s a reward for Sarmin’s weight of runs at domestic level,” chief selector Asmau Haque said in a brief media note. “We wanted a fresh option at the top without disturbing the bulk of the unit.”
The call-up is Sarmin’s second national nod in a matter of weeks. She returned to the ODI line-up in Rajshahi after seven years away, although 42 runs in three innings hinted at rust. Even so, captain Nigar Sultana felt she showed enough intent. “She was willing to take the game on, and that’s what we’re after in the powerplay,” Nigar remarked after the third ODI.
Sri Lanka edged that 50-over series 2-1, largely because Bangladesh’s batting never quite clicked. Responsibility will again sit with Nigar, Sobhana Mostary and Sharmin Akter, who all found patchy form in Rajshahi. The think-tank is hopeful the surfaces in Sylhet – historically truer and offering even bounce – will suit stroke-play a fraction more.
Bowling looks the tidier half of the equation. Marufa Akter will take the new ball, with left-arm seamer Fariha Trisna waiting in the wings if conditions hint at extra pace. Vice-captain Nahida Akter heads a spin group that also features Rabeya Khan, Fahima Khatun and Sultana Khatun. “We didn’t quite build pressure with the ball last week,” Nahida accepted. “That has to change, especially in the middle overs.”
Context matters too. This series is almost certainly Bangladesh’s final hit-out before June’s Women’s T20 World Cup in England, for which they qualified unbeaten through April’s event in Nepal. Coach Hashan Tillakaratne sees these matches as a dress rehearsal. “We’ll try to nail roles now, not at the World Cup,” he noted during a practice session on Saturday.
Match schedule
First T20I: Tuesday, Sylhet
Second T20I: Thursday, Sylhet
Third T20I: Saturday, Sylhet
Bangladesh squad: Nigar Sultana (capt), Nahida Akter (vc), Dilara Akter, Sobhana Mostary, Fahima Khatun, Sharmin Akter, Ritu Moni, Shorna Akter, Rabeya Khan, Sarmin Sultana, Marufa Akter, Fariha Trisna, Sultana Khatun, Sanjida Akter Meghla, Juairiya Ferdous.
Series result won’t alter World Cup qualification, but confidence does matter. As Nigar summed up, “We’ve shown we can win seven on the trot; now we have to show we can adjust, learn, and do it again when it counts.”
