Bangladesh have drafted experienced batter Sarmin Sultana back into the one-day side after a seven-year absence, the headline change for the three-match series against Sri Lanka later this month. Off-spinner Sultana Khatun also returns, while uncapped wicketkeeper-batter Juairiya Ferdous receives her first ODI call-up. Rubya Haider, Nishita Akter and Sumaiya Akter make way.
Chief selector Habibul Bashar explained the thinking on Sunday. “Sarmin’s weight of runs in domestic cricket and her calm head at the top were hard to ignore,” he said. “The World Cup showed we still need stability.”
Sarmin, now 32, last wore national colours in November 2019 against Pakistan. Since then she has collected runs steadily at home and featured in February’s Women’s Asia Cup Rising Stars T20s. Speaking briefly after training in Mirpur, she admitted the recall felt “a little surreal”, adding, “I just want to repay the faith with time out in the middle.”
Khatun’s previous ODI was in January 2025. The 21-year-old off-spinner, seen as a power-play option, said, “I’ve tried to add a quicker ball and a bit of drift. If selected in the XI, I’m ready.”
Ferdous, 19, debuted in February’s T20 World Cup Qualifier in Nepal but has not yet played a 50-over international. Captain Nigar Sultana likes the balance the youngster provides. “She’s tidy behind the stumps and can clear the infield,” Nigar noted.
Bangladesh return to ODIs for the first time since a bruising 2025 World Cup in India, where one win from seven left them seventh. Former coach Dipu Roy credits the selectors for resisting a full overhaul. “You need experience around a dressing-room still learning how to close games,” he told local radio.
Sri Lanka arrive holding a spotless record against Bangladesh in women’s ODIs—three victories, with two matches washed out. The sides’ last meeting was a tense seven-run Sri Lankan win at the World Cup. This will, however, be Sri Lanka’s first bilateral women’s ODI series on Bangladeshi soil.
The ODIs are set for Rajshahi on 20, 22 and 25 April. A three-match T20I leg follows in Sylhet on 28 and 30 April and 2 May. All matches count towards the ICC Women’s Championship, so ranking points are on the line.
Quick glance at the squad
Nigar Sultana (capt), Nahida Akter, Fargana Haque, Sobhana Mostary, Fahima Khatun, Sharmin Akter, Ritu Moni, Shorna Akter, Rabeya Khan, Sarmin Sultana, Marufa Akter, Fariha Islam Trisna, Sultana Khatun, Shanjida Akther Maghla, Juairiya Ferdous.
Key talking points
• Top-order solidity: Bangladesh averaged just 153 in the World Cup; Sarmin’s inclusion is aimed at shoring that up.
• Spin depth: With Khatun back, the hosts could field four spinners, useful on typically slow Rajshahi surfaces.
• New keeper option: Ferdous offers rest for Nigar if workload management becomes an issue.
Former batter Ishtiak Ahmed summed it up neatly: “Bangladesh need results, but they also need to groom the next wave. This squad tries to do both—now it’s about execution on the park.”
