Bangladesh Announce 15-Member T20I Squad Against New Zealand

Bangladesh named uncapped all-rounder Abdul Gaffar Saqlain for the New Zealand T20Is while resting senior pacers to test fresh talent.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board has unveiled a 15-member squad for the opening two T20 Internationals against New Zealand, with a clear focus on experimenting ahead of a packed international season. Uncapped pace-bowling all-rounder Abdul Gaffar Saqlain has received his maiden national call-up after impressing the team management with his dual abilities, combining right-arm pace with lower-order hitting firepower.

Selectors believe Saqlain’s skill set aligns well with the evolving demands of modern T20 cricket. Alongside him, right-arm pacer Ripon Mondol has also been rewarded for his consistency, particularly in death overs. Notably, the 23-year-old Saqlain had earlier represented Bangladesh in three T20 matches during the 2023 Asian Games.

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Chief selector Habibul Bashar Sumon elaborated on the thought process behind bringing in fresh faces. “You have noticed we have included two new faces in Ripon Mondol and Abdul Gaffar Saqlain. Of course, Ripon is playing well, we can utilise his wicket-taking skills. As for Saqlain, we were looking for a bowling all-rounder, that’s why we picked him,” he said after the squad announcement as quoted by The Daily Sun.

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Bangladesh have opted to rest key pacers Mustafizur Rahman, Taskin Ahmed, and Nahid Rana as part of a rotation policy. Mustafizur is set to join Lahore Qalandars in the Pakistan Super League, while the other two have been involved in the ODI series against New Zealand.

Squad: Litton Kumar Das (Captain), Mohammed Parvez Hossain Emon, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Mohammed Saif Hassan (Vice Captain), Shamim Hossain Patwary, Towhid Hridoy, Quazi Nurul Hasan Sohan, Mahedi Hasan, Nasum Ahmed, Rishad Hossain, Shoriful Islam, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Ripon Mondol, Mohammad Saifuddin, Abdul Gaffar Saqlain.

“Obviously we wanted to try some new faces in the T20 side, that’s why we rested Nahid Rana, and also Taskin Ahmed. Nahid needs rest after playing the One Day International series (against New Zealand) and before the Test matches,” Bashar said, adding that the team are also banking on Mohammad Saifuddin’s all-round ability.

“We have a good all-rounder in the squad in Saifuddin. We didn’t change the batsmen, those who were here previously have been retained. We hope the T20 team would play well,” added the chief selector.

The three-match T20I series is set to begin on April 27 at the Bir Shrestha Shaheed Flight Lieutenant Matiur Rahman Cricket Stadium in Chattogram. The second match will also be held at the same venue on April 29, before the final game shifts to Dhaka on May 2.