BAN vs ZIM: Shakib Al Hasan, Mustafizur Rahman Return To Bangladesh Squad For Last Two T20Is Against Zimbabwe

Veteran Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan returns to white-ball cricket as Bangladesh name a 15-member squad for the last two games of the five-match T20I series against Zimbabwe, scheduled for May 10 and 12 at the Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur. This year, Najmul Hossain Shanto took charge across all formats as captain, replacing the seasoned all-rounder. Star left-arm pacer Mustafizur Rahman, who was rested for the opening three games of the series following his return from the IPL 2024 duties with Chennai Super Kings, has been included in the squad that also has Soumya Sarkar, who has recovered from the knee injury he sustained during the last game of the three-match ODIs against Sri Lanka at home.

Shakib Al Hasan and Mustafizur Rahman return to the Bangladesh T20I squad

Shakib Al Hasan returns to white-ball cricket as Bangladesh name a 15-member squad for the last two games of the five-match T20I series against Zimbabwe, scheduled for May 10 and 12 at the Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur. This year, Najmul Hossain Shanto took charge across all formats as captain, replacing the seasoned all-rounder. Shakib Al Hasan played his last T20I match for Bangladesh against Afghanistan, where he delivered an outstanding performance and was awarded Player of the Match. He finished with figures of 2/15 in three overs and scored an unbeaten 18 runs off 11 balls, leading Bangladesh to a series-defining victory. Unfortunately, Shakib had eye problems during the 2023 ODI World Cup in India, and following the event, he was advised to take an indefinite break. As a result, he missed the white-ball series against New Zealand and Sri Lanka. 

"We have given rest to Shoriful. Both team management and Shoriful felt he needed to spend time with his family. We want him to come back after recharging himself as he's been playing cricket in one stretch for a long time," Bangladesh selector Abdur Razzak said.

Shakib was not included in the opening three T20Is against Zimbabwe on his request, as he wanted to play in the Dhaka Premier League to prepare for international cricket. Star left-arm pacer Mustafizur Rahman, who was rested for the opening three games of the series following his return from the IPL 2024 duties with Chennai Super Kings, has been included in the squad that also has Soumya Sarkar, who has recovered from the knee injury he sustained during the last game of the three-match ODIs against Sri Lanka at home. Bangladesh decided to give a break to Shoriful Islam, while Afif Hossain and Parvez Hossain failed to make the squad. The final two T20Is could help the selectors finalise Bangladesh's T20 World Cup 2024 squad, which will most likely be announced on May 13, the day after the last T20I in Dhaka.

Bangladesh squad: Najmul Hossain Shanto (C), Litton Das, Tanzid Hasan, Shakib Al Hasan, Towhid Hridoy, Mahmudullah, Jaker Ali, Mahedi Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Soumya Sarkar, Tanvir Islam, Mohammad Saifuddin.

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