The Bangladesh team is set to begin their T20I campaign on October 6 without the services of long-time stalwart Shakib Al Hasan. The former Bangladesh captain recently announced his retirement from the format, leaving the team with a pressing question: who will replace Shakib in the T20I format?
It was expected that Shakib would play in the three-match T20I series against India following the two-match Test series. However, ahead of the second Test in Kanpur, Shakib surprised everyone by announcing his retirement from both Test and T20I formats, making him unavailable for the T20I series.
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In response, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) included Mehidy Hasan Miraz in the squad. But the question remains: will Mehidy truly replace Shakib in this format?
Shakib played 129 T20Is, amassing over 2,500 runs and taking 149 wickets. In contrast, Mehidy has played just 25 T20Is, scoring 248 runs and claiming 14 wickets.
These stats clearly demonstrate that Shakib has been an irreplaceable figure in Bangladesh’s T20 setup. While Mehidy is a spinning all-rounder like Shakib, he cannot yet replicate what Shakib brings to the table.
Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto expressed hope that Mehidy can rise to the challenge left by Shakib. However, he stopped short of calling Mehidy a direct replacement.
“It will be a bit difficult to adjust now. There will be some challenges in forming the playing eleven,” Najmul said. “Shakib used to provide balance on both fronts—batting and bowling. We have brought Mehidy into the team, and I hope he will quickly adapt to that role.”
Head coach Chandika Hathurusingha echoed similar sentiments, acknowledging that finding a like-for-like replacement for Shakib would be difficult.
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After the Kanpur Test, which Bangladesh surprisingly lost in just over two days, Hathurusingha expressed his shock at Shakib’s sudden retirement announcement.
In T20Is, Bangladesh has struggled to perform consistently, but Shakib was a steady presence, which earned him spots in various private leagues worldwide. While Bangladesh may find someone capable of performing well in the format, Shakib’s absence will undoubtedly haunt the team for some time.