Bangladesh announce 16-member squad for ODI series in Sri Lanka, Litton Das recalled

Bangladesh have recalled Litton Das to the ODI squad for the upcoming three-match series against Sri Lanka in July. The team was also forced to make five changes following the retirements of veteran cricketers Mahmudullah and Mushfiqur Rahim from international and ODI cricket, respectively.

The Chief Selector Gazi Ashraf Hossain stated that Das was given another opportunity partly due to his recent appointment as Bangladesh's T20I captain. Despite a poor run of form, scoring just 35 runs in eight ODIs between the tours of New Zealand in December 2023 and the West Indies in December 2024, Das has been brought back into the side, having also missed out on selection for the Champions Trophy.

"Litton Das was in a bad patch but time is the best healer. He is the T20 captain, so we can consider him till the next T20 World Cup. If someone has to return to form, it is best to spend a long time in the middle. We feel that Litton can take his form from ODIs to T20Is," said Ashraf as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.

The selectors have also brought back Mohammad Naim, Shamim Hossain, Tanvir Islam, and Hasan Mahmud for the ODI series. The top-order batter Naim last featured in an ODI in September 2023, while this marks the first ODI call-up for left-arm spinner Islam, who has played just six T20Is. The Chief Selector noted that five additional bowlers were included in the squad to help manage the workload of pacers Taskin Ahmed and Nahid Rana.

"Naim has shown that he can bat with the same intensity as our [recent] white-ball openers. He has done well in the Dhaka Premier League. We also have someone like Soumya Sarkar, who has ten years of international experience. [He has been dropped because] we want to help him recover fully, so that he can come back properly," Ashraf said.

"We have included five fast bowlers in the ODI side as Mustafizur Rahman and Taskin Ahmed are returning from injuries. We are also mindful of Nahid Rana's workload management, so we have kept enough options to choose from," he added.

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Ashraf stated that Soumya Sarkar is currently recovering from multiple injuries and needs to complete his rehabilitation before being considered for selection.

"Soumya Sarkar has had three injuries in the last 12-15 months. He had an ACL injury against Sri Lanka last year. He had a finger injury in the West Indies. Recently, he suffered a back spasm when we were considering him for the UAE series. He didn't recover in time, so he couldn't play any matches. We couldn't keep him in the side against Pakistan. We want him to recover fully, and return to consideration," Ashraf said.

The three-match ODI series will be played on July 2, 5, and 8. The first two matches are scheduled to take place at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, while the third and final ODI will be held in Pallekele.

Bangladesh squad for ODI series vs Sri Lanka

Mehidy Hasan Miraz (capt), Tanzid Hasan, Parvez Hossain Emon, Mohammad Naim, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Towhid Hridoy, Litton Das, Jaker Ali, Shamim Hossain, Rishad Hossain, Tanvir Islam, Mustafizur Rahman, Tanzim Hasan, Taskin Ahmed, Nahid Rana, Hasan Mahmud