Bangladesh have opted for familiarity with a single tweak, recalling top-order batter Taj Nehar and leaving out Sarmin Sultana in their 15-player party for next month’s ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in England.
Chief selector Sajjad Ahmed explained the swap in blunt terms. “We were thinking of Sarmin Sultana for the one-day format. Taj Nehar is a versatile cricketer who can bat between No. 1 to No. 6 in the batting line-up,” he said. “The selectors believe that Nehar can solve the problem of scoring quick runs in the last five overs.”
It is a big vote of confidence. Nehar, 28, owns just 44 runs from eight T20 internationals and last appeared in the format against West Indies in January 2025. Even so, the panel feel her range against pace and spin can unlock those stubborn death overs that stalled Bangladesh during the recent 3-0 defeat to Sri Lanka in Sylhet.
Nigar Sultana continues as captain for a third successive World Cup, with left-arm spinner Nahida Akter again her deputy. Off-spinner Fahima Khatun, now 33, is set for an extraordinary seventh appearance at the tournament, underlining the core of experience running through the side. Eleven members featured at the 2024 edition in the UAE.
Form, though, is a niggle. Sri Lanka’s sweep earlier this month interrupted Bangladesh’s seven-match winning streak in the global qualifiers and exposed a few soft spots in the middle order. Assistant coach Hashan Tillakaratne, speaking after that series, accepted the issue: “We were good in patches but never stitched together the full 40 overs. The girls know it.”
Preparation starts afresh on 25 May when the squad leave Dhaka for Edinburgh and a short tri-series against Scotland and the Netherlands. A brief training block in Loughborough follows before the warm-ups organised by the ICC.
The draw is hardly gentle. Bangladesh share Group 1 with Australia, India, Pakistan, South Africa and the Netherlands; their campaign opens on 14 June against the Dutch at Edgbaston. Two sides progress to the semi-finals, so an early win feels non-negotiable.
A quick look at the squad list shows balance on paper: two wicketkeepers, three frontline quicks, plenty of spin options, and batting that can extend to nine if Ritu Moni is counted. How that translates under English skies is another matter. Seamers Marufa Akter and Fariha Islam could enjoy the new ball if it swings, while the older Dukes ball—used in women’s ICC events in England—has historically assisted finger spinners later in the innings.
Numbers aside, the mood in camp remains measured. Senior pro Fahima put it simply last week: “Another World Cup, another chance. We keep learning.” That sentence sums up Bangladesh’s outlook—respectful of the challenge, quietly hopeful of a breakthrough, and aware that tidy basics rather than headline-grabbing heroics usually decide T20 matches.
Bangladesh squad
Nigar Sultana (capt, wk), Nahida Akter (vice-capt), Sharmin Akter, Sobhana Mostary, Shorna Akter, Ritu Moni, Rabeya Khan, Fahima Khatun, Fariha Islam, Marufa Akter, Shanjida Akter, Sultana Khatun, Dilara Akter (wk), Juairiya Ferdous, Taj Nehar
