All-rounder Shakib Al Hasan and batsman Soumya Sarkar return to the T20I squad as the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) announced the team for the final two matches of the five-match series against Zimbabwe. Shakib, who missed the first three matches due to Dhaka League commitments, rejoins the squad alongside Mustafizur Rahman, who returned from the IPL on May 2. Soumya Sarkar also makes a comeback after recovering from a knee injury. To accommodate their return, the selectors have left out Parvez Hossain Emon and Afif Hossain for the remaining matches, while Shoriful Islam has been rested. Read more: Towhid's 50 propels Bangladesh to 165 in 3rd T20I against Zimbabwe Bangladesh has already secured the series with victories in the first three matches, but Zimbabwe will be looking to salvage some pride in the final two games, scheduled for May 10th and 12th in Dhaka. This series marks Bangladesh's final home fixtures before the ICC Men's T20 World Cup, which will be held in the USA and West Indies next month. Bangladesh Squad for Final Zimbabwe T20Is: Najmul Hossain Shanto (Captain), Litton Das, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Shakib Al Hasan, Tawhid Hridoy, Mahmudullah Riyad, Jaker Ali, Mahedi Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Tanzim Sakib, Soumya Sarkar, Tanvir Islam, Mohammad Saifuddin. Read more: Zimbabwe Come Close, But Bangladesh Clinch the Series

Zimbabwe will be hoping for a comeback in the series when they take on Bangladesh for the 3rd T20I of the 5-match series on May 7 at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium. After winning the first two games, Bangladesh will look forward to sealing the deal by 3-0 and winning the series. On the other hand, Zimbabwe will aim to put up a good performance in the series. The match will start at 300 PM BST. Details of the Third T20I Match between Bangladesh and Zimbabwe  Table: Venue and schedule of the 2024 BAN vs ZIM 3rd T20I Match Date Time Venue 3rd T20I Tuesday, May 7, 2024 3:00 P.M BST Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, Chattogram Preview of the Bangladesh vs Zimbabwe Third T20 in 2024 Bangladesh had a comfortable victory over Zimbabwe in both the games of the ongoing T20I series. However, they need to take lessons from some of the aspects of the game and try not to repeat those issues in the upcoming match. Their top order remains a genuine concern for the Tigers. The half-century of debutant Tanzid Hasan Tamim in the first T20I match against Zimbabwe was a breath of fresh air in this regard but he couldn’t continue it in the second T20I match. Litton Das has been struggling for quite some time now and Bangladesh would want to see some runs from his bat. Similarly, skipper Nazmul Hasan Shanto’s bat has not been flourishing the way it was expected from him.  Read more: T20I Series: Bangladesh take 2-0 lead with comfortable victory over Zimbabwe The bowling of Bangladesh was good. However, letting Zimbabwe score 122 and 138 after having them on 41/7 and 42/5 respectively are something they won’t want to see again. The bowlers need to be more clinical in finishing the innings. For Zimbabwe, very few things went right for them. Their top order failed miserably. Losing all the batters in clusters adds to the woes. The collapse of 41/7 from 36/1 in the first innings and 42/5 from 30/1 were something they would like to rectify in the third T20I against Bangladesh. They would surely want their senior players like Sikandar Raza, Sean Williams, Craig Ervine, and Ryan Burl chipping in more in this game. All of them had miserable outings in the first game.  Their bowling had nothing much to do with what their batter gave them to defend. Still, they should have been more destructive with the bowling after the rain breaks. Although their execution was better in the second T20I match, Zimbabwe would demand their bowling unit to maintain this curve and be more disciplined in this game.  Read more: Women's T20 World Cup: Bangladesh's Schedule Unveiled BAN vs ZIM H2H T20I Records So Far Table: Head-to-head T20I Records between Bangladesh and Zimbabwe Total Matches Bangladesh Win Zimbabwe Win Tie/NR 22 15 7 0  

Bangladesh will face Zimbabwe for the 1st T20I match of the 5-match series starting from May 3 at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram. Bangladesh, who saw a break in their winning run after losing against Sri Lanka, will look forward to regaining momentum and confidence in this series. On the other hand, Zimbabwe will take this series as an ideal preparation for the T20I World Cup 2024. The match will start at 6:00 PM BST. BAN vs ZIM 1st T20I 2024: Match Details Table: Schedule and venue of the first T20 Match between Bangladesh and Zimbabwe Match Date Time Venue 1st T20I Friday, May 3, 2024 6:00 P.M BST Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, Chattogram, Bangladesh Read more: Shakib Gets Dhaka League Green Light, While Mustafizur Pulled from IPL for National Duty First T20I Match between Bangladesh vs Zimbabwe in 2024: Preview Nazmul Hossain Shanto and Sikandar Raza are responsible for leading Bangladesh and Zimbabwe respectively in this series. Bangladesh will depend on Litton Das, Soumya Sarkar, and Nazmul Hossain Shanto in the top order.  The middle order is expected to be led by Tawhid Hridoy and then carried by Mahmudullah Riyad and Jaker Ali. Apart from that, the pace trio of Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, and Tanzim Hasan Sakib are expected to play a big role in this game. However, the real competition would be for no. 7 and 8 positions. Rishad Hossain, Mahedi Hasan and Mohammad Saifuddin are all in an equal battle and have equal claims for this position. But it is unlikely for Bangladesh to go with 4 pacers. Hence, Mahedi and Rishad should grab the spots for the first games. Another option could be to go with all three of them and drop one of the frontline seamers. Operations Chairman of BCB Jalal Yunus has emphasised managing the workload for seamers in previous press interviews. After a long DPL season, this series would be a good opportunity to rotate the seamers. This can be beneficial for workload management as well as finding the best combination of seamers ahead of the T20 World Cup 2024. Zimbabwe would highly depend on their star and most in-form player Sikandar Raza with both bowling and batting. They have put a good amount of weight on the performance of African Games Cricket 2023 in their squad selection. Clive Mandane, Brian Bennett, and Johnathan Campbell got call-ups in their squad after their performances in this tournament. Johnathan Campbell, son of former Zimbabwean captain Alistair Campbell, got his maiden call-up in this series.  Their batting will be reliant on Craig Ervine and Sean Williams anchoring, and Sikandar Raza-Ryan Burl’s explosiveness. Apart from that they’d expect the likes of Tadiwanashe Marumani and Brian Bennett to step up. Their bowling department will be primarily led by Richard Ngrava and Blessing Muzarabani. Wellington Masakadza will have his part to play as well. Apart from that, Sikandar Raza’s off-spin can be their trump card. Johnathan Campbell might have a key role to play here as well with his leg-spin.  Read more: Squad announced for first 3 T20Is against Zimbabwe Bangladesh vs Zimbabwe H2H T20I Records So Far Table: Head-to-head T20I records between Bangladesh and Zimbabwe  Total Matches Bangladesh Win Zimbabwe Win Tie/NR 20 13 7 0 Bangladesh vs Zimbabwe always provide an exciting battle for the fans and audiences. These two sides have met 20 times. Bangladesh came out victorious 13 times and Zimbabwe won 7 of them.  They have fought in seven bilateral series, of which Bangladesh won three and Zimbabwe won only 1. The rest were a tie.  However, Zimbabwe is the winner of the last series between these two sides in Zimbabwe 2022. On the other hand, Bangladesh won the last game between these two sides in the 2022 T20 World Cup.  Read more: Bangladesh vs Zimbabwe T20 Series 2024: Fixtures, Head-To-Head Records Bangladesh Squad Against Zimbabwe Najmul Hossain Shanto (Captain), Mahmud Ullah, Litton Kumer Das, Tawhid Hridoy, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Sharif Uddin, Jaker Ali Anik, Taskin Ahmed, Shak Mahedi Hasan, Tanvir Islam, Rishad Hossain, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Shoriful Islam, Parvez Hossain Emon, Mohammad Saifuddin, and Afif Hossain.  Zimbabwe Squad Against Bangladesh Sikandar Raza (Captain), Clive Madande, Faraz Akram, Wellington Masakadza, Ryan Burl, Johnathan Campbell, Joylord Gumbie, Craig Ervine, Luke Jongwe, Brian Bennett, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Sean Williams, Blessing Muzarabani, Ainsley Ndlovu, and Richard Ngarava. Read more: Zimbabwe cricketers arrive in Dhaka for 5-match T20I series against hosts Key Players to Watch from Bangladesh Team Litton Kumer Das Litton Kumer Das has been a crucial factor in Bangladesh’s rise since T20I 2023. His quick starts in the powerplay set the momentum for a big score. Similarly, he can go big as well. In his last 10 innings, Litton scored 345 runs with an average of 38.33. Bangladesh would look for similar returns in this game as well. Shoriful Islam Shoriful Islam has developed himself as the key strike bowler of Bangladesh in recent times. He picked up 8 wickets in the last 6 games with a strike rate of 16.25.  His success in making the batters of the opposition team unstable in the opening overs makes him a key player for this team.  Rishad Hossain Rishad Hossain is one of the newest finds for Bangladesh. He sorts two sides where Bangladesh has been struggling for a long time. He can play as a pinch hitter in the lower-middle order. At the same time, his leg-spin is also a great help for the Bangladesh team.  Read more: Analyzing Bangladesh Preliminary Squad in the Upcoming BAN vs ZIM T20I Series 2024 Key Players to Watch from the Zimbabwe Team Sikandar Raza Sikandar Raza is the biggest threat to the opposition. His all-round capability as well as playing big roles in almost all the wins of Zimbabwe. He scored 398 runs and picked up 13 wickets in the last 8 games.  This vastly experienced campaigner would be crucial for Zimbabwe. Ryan Burl Ryan Burl can take games away from the opponent with his big hits. He also shines against Bangladesh. He averages around 60 against Bangladesh. His explosive batting would be key in pitches like Chattogram Richard Ngrava Richard Ngrava is arguably the most in-form bowler for Zimbabwe currently. Picking up 16 wickets in the last 10 games with a strike rate of 13.75 makes him the most dangerous bowler for Zimbabwe in this game. Final Words  In the upcoming BAN vs ZIM T20I Series 2024, both teams are well-equipped to beat the opponent. Bangladesh might start the series as a favourite due to being the host country. But Zimbabwe will fight an equal battle under the captaincy of Sikandar Raza. Read more: What lies ahead for Bangladesh spinners under Mushtaq Ahmed's guidance

The 5-match T20I series between Bangladesh and Zimbabwe will kick off on 3rd May at Chattogram. This will be the last series before Bangladesh’s tour to the USA for a T20I series. Tigers lost their last T20I series against Sri Lanka this March after remaining unbeaten for four series at home. Therefore, they would look toward this series to gather the lost momentum ahead of the T20 World Cup 2024. Preparatory Bangladesh Squad for Bangladesh vs Zimbabwe T20I series 2024 Najmul Hossain Shanto, Litton Das, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Tawhid Hridoy, Mahmudullah Riyad, Jaker Ali Anik, Mahedi Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Parvez Hossain Emon, Tanvir Islam, Afif Hossain, Hasan Mahmud, Mohammad Saifuddin, and Soumya Sarkar. Zimbabwe have already announced their squad and presumably will reach Bangladesh on 28th April. Bangladesh is expected to announce their final squad on the same day.  Read more: Shakib Gets Dhaka League Green Light, While Mustafizur Pulled from IPL for National Duty Analysis of Bangladesh squad against Zimbabwe Mustafizur Rahman is expected to join the squad after 1st May when his commitment with the IPL franchise, Chennai Super Kings ends as per the NOC given by BCB. Meanwhile, Shakib Al Hasan is expected to return with this series after the World Cup 2023.   The squad has kept plenty of options in all positions. It indicates that Bangladesh will focus on testing and experimenting with as many players as possible to make a strong team for the World T20.   The opening pair of Litton Das and Soumya Sarkar, which had been misfiring for some time, have to be at their absolute best to keep a place in the team. Or else, youngsters like Tanzid Tamim and Parvez Emon are ready to pounce on the opportunity to replace them.  Tanzid Tamim played a brilliant knock of 84 (81) in his last international innings against Sri Lanka this March. He is waiting for his international debut in this format and feels confident after a good BPL campaign.  Parvez Emon has played only a single T20I for Bangladesh. This time after a tremendous BPL campaign, where he is the highest scorer as of now with three centuries from 13 innings, he has been given a chance because of his fiery nature in the top of the innings.  Read more: What lies ahead for Bangladesh spinners under Mushtaq Ahmed's guidance Another important part to focus on the Bangladesh squad is the middle and lower-middle order which will see stiff competition for a place. In the last T20I series against Sri Lanka, the Bangladesh squad included Mahmudullah Riyad, Jaker Ali Anik, and Rishad Hossain playing brilliantly.  This time with the addition of Mohammad Saifuddin, who also is a great addition to the pace bowling department, and the likes of Tawhid Hridoy and Mahedi Hasan already being there provide Bangladesh great balance and flexibility in the middle and lower-middle order.  Bangladesh get a good core of all-rounders if we look at them individually. Off-spinning all-rounder Mahedi Hasan, leg-spinning all-rounder Rishad Hossain, and a seaming all-rounder Mohammad Saifuddin already provide a great variety. Besides, the addition of Shakib Al Hasan will provide greater dynamics to the team. Also, Soumya Sarkar can be effective as an all-rounder as well. The bowling department didn’t see much chop and change with the regular faces of seamers and spinners in Taskin, Shoriful, Sakib, Hasan, and Tanvir. The addition of Mustafiz is also pretty regular in the squad.  However, with so many seaming options, it can be expected that Bangladesh is unlikely to go with a traditional spin-friendly wicket and will try their expertise in a more sporting or batting-friendly one. Read more: Bangladesh vs India Women T20 Series 2024: Fixtures, Squad, H2H Records, Key Players Key Players to watch in the Bangladesh Squad Litton Das Litton Das has been a key factor for Bangladesh doing well in the T20Is last year. He has scored 323 runs in the 9 innings with an average of 40.37 and a strike rate of 137.44. It’s not only the score, his performance proved fruitful for the team. In several matches, he brought Bangladesh quick-firing explosive starts and utilized the power play well.  However, he has been misfiring since the turn of the calendar and has not been able to find his ground. It is important for the Bangladesh team for him to turn up with the bat at the start of the innings. This Zimbabwe series seems to be a perfect opportunity for that and all eyes would be on him to observe if he’s successful in that or not. Jaker Ali Anik  Jaker Ali Anik has played only two innings with the Bangladesh team and has won the hearts of the fans with that. His debut innings of 68(34) has been one of the best at debut for Bangladesh. The fans have liked his big and pinch-hitting capabilities and see him as a ray of hope in the no. 6/7 position where Bangladesh have been struggling all these years. Thus, ahead of the World T20, the fans would want to see some blistering innings from him against Zimbabwe. Rishad Hossain Another player who has won the hearts of fans with his big-hitting capabilities is Rishad Hossain. He only faced 70 balls in T20I and ODI combined and hit 12 sixes. Furthermore, his leg-spin profile has also been something Bangladesh fans have wished for a long time. He has taken six wickets till now in T20Is. Everyone from fans to team management would expect him to excel in both roles. Mohammad Saifuddin Mohammad Saifuddin has been out for a long time due to injury and has now earned a call to the national team again after some good performances in the BPL and DPL 2024. He has always been known for his hard-hitting capabilities with the bat. With bowl, he was one of the most trusted in both the opening and the death overs. Therefore, his proper comeback will be a huge boost for the team both morally and tactically. Hence, everyone will be wishing for his comeback in this series. Read more: Bangladesh vs Zimbabwe T20 Series 2024: Fixtures, Head-To-Head Records Final Words The series against Zimbabwe can be a great scope for Bangladesh to fix their limitations and do necessary experiments on the team. The BAN vs ZIM T20I series 2024 series will play a crucial role in selecting the squad for the T20 World Cup in June 2024. Therefore, the expectation remains for everyone to give their best in this series.