DHAKA, July 05 (V7N) – The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Friday unveiled a 16-member squad for the upcoming three-match T20 International (T20I) series against Sri Lanka. The series is scheduled to be played across three venues in Sri Lanka – Kandy, Dambulla, and Colombo – with all matches commencing at 7:30 PM Bangladesh Standard Time.

The squad sees the return of several key players who were not part of the previous T20 squad that played against Pakistan in June this year. These include pacers Taskin Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman, both of whom have recovered from injuries. All-rounder Mohammad Saifuddin also makes a comeback after more than a year, following a strong domestic season. Additionally, left-handed opener Mohammad Naim Sheikh, who has been in impressive form in domestic cricket as the highest run-scorer in both the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) and the National Cricket League (NCL) T20s, has been recalled. Left-arm spinner Nasum Ahmed replaces Tanvir Islam, as selectors continue to explore options in the spin department.

Conversely, some prominent names have been dropped from the previous squad. Former T20I captain Najmul Hossain Shanto finds himself completely out of the squad after a disappointing run of form in the shortest format throughout 2024. Other players omitted include Soumya Sarkar, Hasan Mahmud, and Tanvir Islam.

The Bangladesh team is currently engaged in a three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka, where they are trailing 0-1 after a significant 77-run defeat in the opening match on Wednesday, largely due to a batting collapse. Prior to the ODI series, both teams competed in a two-match Test series, which ended with Sri Lanka winning 1-0 after Bangladesh lost the second Test by an innings, following a draw in the first.

Series Schedule:

1st T20I: July 10, Kandy

2nd T20I: July 13, Dambulla

3rd T20I: July 16, Colombo

Bangladesh T20I Squad:

Litton Kumer Das (Captain)

Tanzid Hasan Tamim

Parvez Hossain Emon

Md Naim Sheikh

Towhid Hridoy

Jaker Ali Anik

Shamim Hossain Patwari

Mehidy Hasan Miraz

Rishad Hossain

Shak Mahedi Hasan

Nasum Ahmed

Taskin Ahmed

Mustafizur Rahman

Shoriful Islam

Tanzim Hasan Sakib

Mohammad Saifuddin

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