United News of Bangladesh

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has announced a 15-member squad for the 2026 ICC T20 World Cup, with wicketkeeper-batter Litton Das named as captain and Saif Hassan as his deputy. The squad announcement, made via a press release on Sunday (January 04, 2026), includes notable exclusions. Najmul Hossain Shanto, despite showing good form in the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), has been left out, as has wicketkeeper-batter Jaker Ali. In total, six players from the 2024 World Cup campaign have been omitted. Read more: BCB eyes ICC intervention for World Cup security following Mustafizur’s IPL exit Veterans Shakib Al Hasan and Mahmudullah Riyad are absent, alongside Soumya Sarkar and Tanvir Islam. Nine players have retained their spots from the previous edition, including pacer Mustafizur Rahman, who was recently the center of a diplomatic row after being excluded from the IPL. The squad has a balance of seven batters, three spinners, and five pacers. New inclusions to the setup are Parvez Hossain Emon, Mohammad Saifuddin, Saif Hassan, Shamim Hossain, Nurul Hasan Sohan, and Nasum Ahmed. The 10th edition of the T20 World Cup, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, begins on February 7. Bangladesh is scheduled to face the West Indies in their opening match at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. Drawn in Group C, Bangladesh will also compete against defending champions England, Italy, and Nepal. Read more: “Days of slavery are over”: Bangladesh’s sports adviser reacts strongly to Mustafizur’s IPL exit While the schedule currently lists three group matches in Kolkata and one in Mumbai, the BCB has recently discussed a venue change to Sri Lanka, citing security concerns. Bangladesh squad: Litton Das (Captain), Saif Hassan (Vice-Captain), Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Parvez Hossain Emon, Towhid Hridoy, Shamim Hossain, Nurul Hasan Sohan, Mahedi Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Nasum Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Taskin Ahmed, Mohammad Saifuddin, and Shoriful Islam.