Strongest Bangladesh Playing XI for ICC Champions Trophy 2025

The ICC Champions Trophy kicks off on 19th February, with hosts Pakistan taking on New Zealand in the opening game of the competition. With just eight teams playing in the tournament, every game is pretty much a must-win as a minor blip could result in elimination. The group A comprise of three strong teams, namely India, Pakistan and New Zealand. But, there is one more team in the group who could spring a surpise. 

Bangladesh, who seem like the minnows of the group, could make things difficult for others if they play to potential. A few days back, Bangladesh skipper Najmul Shanto sparked a storm by claiming that his side could win the whole tournament. Is that really possible? 

Here’s a look at what Bangladesh’s strongest playing XI could be like: 

Top order: Tanzid Hasan, Soumya Sarkar, Najmul Shanto, Towhid Hridoy 

Bangladesh have only two recognised openers in Tanzid Hasan and Soumya Sarkar in their squad, with Parvez Emon and Jaker Ali potentially being used as backup options. However, it is the former two that seem the most well-suited for playing in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Tanzid Hasan was part of the Test squad that won a series in Pakistan, and Soumya Sarkar can be a handy option with the ball as well while opening the batting. 

Skipper Najmul Shanto, who scored a century in the only game he played in Pakistan, will slot in at number 3, while the prodigious Towhid Hridoy can be their number 4 batter. Both these batters have been around for a while and should enjoy the responsibility of anchoring the innings in the middle overs. 

Middle-order: Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah, Mehidy Hasan Miraz

Bangladesh’s middle order could be their strongest suit, as they boast the experience of Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah. Rahim has an impressive batting average of 36.59 and has scored nine centuries so far in ODI cricket. He too was part of the Test squad that won in Pakistan and should enjoy playing on these flat decks. 

Mahmudullah has been Bangladesh’s man for the big tournaments over the last decade. He has a stellar record in ODI World Cups, as he averages 52.44 after 22 games. Mahmudullah has scored four fifties and four hundreds in ODI World Cups and will look to improve on that tally in this other ICC tournament. 

Mehidy Hasan Miraz slots in as the all-rounder at number seven. He has been used as a floater by Bangladesh and shuffled all across the positions, but perhaps he is best suited as a slog-over hitter. Miraz also can be a canny off-spinner, who could do well against Pakistan specifically, who have been a bit sketchy against spin in the recent past. 

Bowlers: Taskin Ahmed, Tanzid Hasan, Nahid Rana, Rishad Hossain 

The current crop of Bangladesh are blessed to have some solid, hit-the-deck 140+ pacers, who would be perfect to play on the flat decks of Pakistan. When the pitches are placid, a bit of extra pace hurrying onto the batter could be the best bet to get wickets. With that in mind, Taskin Ahmed, Tanzid Hasan, and Nahid Rana should be their starting pacers in the Champions Trophy. Nahid Rana and Taskin were part of the Test team that won in Pakistan, impressing the world with their hard lengths. This combination would mean that the experienced Mustafizur Rahman misses out. 

On the spin front, the tall leggie Rishad Hossain could be their best bet. He can be expensive sometimes, but Rishad Hossain can be a proven wicket-taker who has an important role to play in the middle overs.