Litton Das Returns as Bangladesh T20I Captain for Asian Games

Bangladesh have recalled Najmul Hossain Shanto and Hasan Mahmud to their T20I squad for the Asian Games, while Litton Das returns as captain after recovering from a hamstring injury.

Litton Das will once again lead Bangladesh in T20I cricket after missing the recent series against Zimbabwe and Australia because of a hamstring injury. The experienced batter has been included in the squad for the Asian Games, which will be held in September.

Najmul Hossain Shanto and fast bowler Hasan Mahmud have also been recalled to the T20I setup. Meanwhile, Nurul Hasan and Abdul Gaffar Saqlain have been left out of the squad, while pacer Nahid Rana remains unavailable as he continues his recovery from a side strain.

Shanto is returning to the T20I side after more than a year away from the format. His last T20I appearance came against the UAE in May last year. He had endured a difficult run in the format, going 19 consecutive innings without a half-century, before eventually losing the captaincy to Litton Das.

The left-hander has since regained form in longer-format cricket. Shanto recently captained Bangladesh to a historic Test victory in Australia, scoring a half-century in Darwin. He also enjoyed a productive Bangladesh Premier League campaign last year, scoring 355 runs, including a century and a fifty.

Hasan Mahmud, meanwhile, last played T20I cricket during Bangladesh's tour of Pakistan last year. He picked up three wickets in three matches but conceded runs at an economy rate of 11.30.

The fast bowler has since produced encouraging performances in other formats. Mahmud was named Player of the Match in Bangladesh's historic Test win in Australia and took 10 wickets at an average of 24.67 in the BPL last season.

Bangladesh will begin their Asian Games campaign in the quarter-finals on September 28, when they will face the winner of Group B. All cricket matches in the tournament will be played at Korogi Sports Park.

Bangladesh won the bronze medal at the previous Asian Games in 2023 and will be looking to go a step further this time.

Bangladesh T20I Squad for Asian Games

• Litton Das (captain)
• Tanzid Hasan
• Parvez Hossain Emon
• Saif Hasan
• Najmul Hossain Shanto
• Towhid Hridoy
• Mosaddek Hossain
• Yasir Ali
• Rishad Hossain
• Mahedi Hasan
• Nasum Ahmed
• Mohammad Saifuddin
• Shoriful Islam
• Mustafizur Rahman
• Hasan Mahmud