Najmul Hossain Shanto is back in charge of Bangladesh’s Test side and will stay there until the current World Test Championship campaign ends in mid-2027. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) confirmed the U-turn late on Friday, only ten days before the first of two Tests against Ireland in Sylhet.
Shanto, 27, had handed the role back in June after a 1-0 defeat to Sri Lanka, arguing that “three separate captains will be difficult for the team to deal with.” Since then Litton Das has led the T20 side and Mehidy Hasan Miraz the one-day outfit, while the Test post remained vacant. The board has now decided continuity is the lesser evil.
“I feel truly honoured to continue leading the Bangladesh Test team and I am very grateful to the Board for the faith and trust they have shown in my captaincy,” Shanto said in a BCB release. “Captaining my country in Test cricket is the greatest pride of my life. I will do my utmost to repay the responsibility that has been entrusted to me.”
He added: “It is a joy to lead a team that has so much talent and potential, and I believe we have an exciting and positive season ahead. We are looking forward to the upcoming series against Ireland later this month, which marks the start of a busy and important period for Bangladesh Test cricket.”
The numbers so far are mixed. Shanto first took over in 2023 and has presided over 14 Tests: four wins, nine defeats and a draw. The peak came in August 2024 when Bangladesh swept Pakistan 2-0 away, but a lean home run followed.
Even so, BCB president Aminul Islam backed the decision. “Shanto has shown composure, commitment and a deep understanding of Test cricket,” he said. “Under his leadership, we have seen growth and belief in the team. The Board feels that continuity in leadership will serve us well as we move forward in this new Test Championship cycle.”
Bangladesh are seventh in the nine-team WTC table, with four points from their opening two matches—one loss and one draw against Sri Lanka. The forthcoming Tests against Ireland do not carry WTC points but should give Shanto a chance to settle his plans before tougher assignments later in the cycle.
For now, the left-hander knows the brief: steady a side that has chopped captains, reclaim some momentum, and, ideally, climb that WTC ladder.
