Mustafizur Rahman and Soumya Sarkar also return, with Emon, Afif and Shoriful making way
After nearly a year away, Shakib Al Hasan has returned to the Bangladesh T20I team. He is included in the team for the last two games in Dhaka against Zimbabwe. Soumya Sarkar and Mustafizur Rahman are also back, as the home team looks to carry on winning after securing a 3-0 lead in Chattogram.
Parvez Hossain Emon and Afif Hossain have been rested to make room for this trio, while quick bowler Shoriful Islam has been left out. Parvez and Afif missed all three T20I matches, but Shoriful participated in the first two.
When Shakib last participated in Twenty20 Internationals, he was captain of Bangladesh. In July 2023, he won Player of the Match against Afghanistan in Sylhet. He was preparing the team for the T20 World Cup this year, but following the ODI World Cup in October–November 2023, he was limited in his performances due to an eye ailment and a finger injury. This year, Najmul Hossain Shanto has taken his spot as captain across all formats.
After taking some time off after his return from the Indian Premier League, where he played well for the Chennai Super Kings with the ball, Mustafizur is back. Following his knee injury on March 18 during the third ODI against Sri Lanka, Soumya is making a full recovery.
The final two Twenty20 international matches may help the selectors decide on Bangladesh’s ultimate World Cup team. The announcement of the team is expected on May 13, the day following the last Twenty20 international match in Dhaka.
The Bangladeshi team consists of the following players: Rishad Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Soumya Sarkar, Tanvir Islam, Mohammad Saifuddin, Tanzid Hasan, Shakib Al Hasan, Towhid Hridoy, Mahmudullah, Jaker Ali, Mahedi Hasan, and Litton Das.