On a high after winning the series against Australia 4-1, Bangladesh have received a further boost for the T20Is against New Zealand as Mushfiqur Rahim and Liton Das make a comeback to the national side after forced absence.
Both Mushfiqur and Liton, integral to Bangladesh’s limited-overs batting unit, were ruled out of the T20Is against the Aussies in Dhaka after failing to comply with the COVID-19 protocols set by Cricket Australia and Bangladesh Cricket Board.
The two cricketers couldn’t enter the series’ bio-bubble in time after attending their respective family emergencies following the tour of Zimbabwe in July. But with them back in the reckoning now, the hosts look stronger than they did versus Australia.
The presence of Liton at the top and Mushfiqur in the middle-order would help Bangladesh maximise their batting potential after managing scores of only 131, 121, 127, 104 and 122 earlier in the month. The home team’s spinners made the major difference on dry, spin-friendly surfaces against a beleaguered Australian batting unit.
The selectors have also brought in leg-spinner Aminul Islam to the Mahmudullah led side, with out-of-form batsman Mohammad Mithun being one notable absentee.
Islam’s inclusion gives the side more options in the spin department, which is already bolstered by the presence of Shakib Al Hasan, Mahedi Hasan and Nasum Ahmed.
Mithun has faced the axe after being left out of the playing XI versus Zimbabwe (T20Is only) and Australia on bad form, having failed to collect more than 118 runs from his eight innings across series against West Indies, New Zealand and Sri Lanka earlier in the year.
Importantly, Bangladesh’s pace department also looks quite promising for the conditions at home, with Mustafizur Rahim leading the pack that features Shoriful Islam, Mohammad Saifuddin, Taskin Ahmed and Rubel Hossain.
The five-match T20I series against the Kiwis begins on September 1. All matches will be played at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka. This is Bangladesh’s last scheduled series before the T20 World Cup in UAE and Oman, starting October 17.
