Fit Litton Das strengthens Bangladesh for Zimbabwe tour

Who’s back: Litton Kumar Das, wicketkeeper-batter, declared fit after calf injury. What he missed: One-off Test vs Zimbabwe + 3-match T20I series vs Australia in Chattogram. Injury details: Muscle tear sustained during ODI series vs Australia in Dhaka.

Captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz also returns to the ODI squad after missing the third match against Australia due to a concussion. Mehidy was earlier rested from the Test side traveling to Zimbabwe.


Barring Mahedi Hasan who was a last-minute replacement for Mehidy in the third ODI, Bangladesh retained the same squad that beat Australia in June. Mustafizur Rahman and Taskin Ahmed will be spearheading the seam attack alongside Shoriful Islam and Nahid Rana. Rana and Taskin, like Mehidy, were rested from the Test side for the one-off game in Harare.

Vice-captain Najmul Hossain Shanto and Towhid Hridoy have formed the core of the batting order, with the returning Mosaddek Hossain surprising everyone with his player-of-the-series winning performance against Australia. He broke a four-year long ODI hiatus during that series. Incidentally, the last place he had played in was Zimbabwe.

The hosts won that series 2-1 in August 2022, breaking a nine-year run of Bangladesh winning every bilateral ODI series between the two teams. Overall, Bangladesh have won three out of nine bilateral ODI series in Zimbabwe in the last 25 years.

Captain: Mehidy Hasan Miraz | Vice-captain: Najmul Hossain Shanto. Other returns: Mosaddek Hossain back after Player of the Series vs Australia; last played Zimbabwe tour Aug 2022LPL clash: Litton + Taskin Ahmed have NOCs for Lanka Premier League and will miss T20Is vs Zimbabwe.

Mehidy Hassan Miraz (capt), Soumya Sarkar, Saif Hassan, Tanzid Hasan, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Towhid Hridoy, Litton Das, Mosaddek Hossain, Nurul Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Tanvir Islam, Mustafizur Rahman, Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Nahid Rana

Last bilateral: Zimbabwe won 2-1 in Aug 2022, ending Bangladesh’s 9-year winning streak in ODI series. In Zimbabwe: Bangladesh have won only 3 of 9 bilateral ODI series in last 25 years.

Bottom line: Litton’s calf has healed and he’s resumed training at SBNCS. He’ll bolster Bangladesh for the ODIs starting July 6, but will skip the T20Is for LPL duty.