Litton Das returns as Bangladesh announce five changes for ODI Series against Sri Lanka

Dhaka [Bangladesh], June 23 (ANI): Bangladesh have recalled Litton Das to their ODI squad as part of five changes ahead of next month’s three-match series against Sri Lanka, as per ESPNcricinfo.

Two of the alterations were necessitated by retirements, Mahmudullah has stepped away from all formats of international cricket, while Mushfiqur Rahim has retired from ODIs.

Chief selector Gazi Ashraf Hossain explained that Litton was brought back due to his recent appointment as Bangladesh’s T20I captain. However, Litton’s recent ODI form had been underwhelming, he managed just 35 runs across eight matches between the New Zealand tour in December 2023 and the West Indies tour in December 2024, leading to his omission from the Champions Trophy squad.

“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," Ashraf said, as quoted from ESPNcricinfo.

“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," he added.

The new additions are Mohammad Naim, Shamim Hossain, Tanvir Islam, and Hasan Mahmud. Naim, a top-order batter, last played an ODI in September 2023, while left-arm spinner Tanvir has earned his maiden ODI call-up. Tanvir’s international experience so far includes six T20Is.

“Naim has shown that he can bat with the same intensity as our (recent) white-ball openers," Ashraf said, as quoted from ESPNcricinfo

“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," he added.

“We have included five fast bowlers in the ODI side as we have 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 noted.

“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 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 on axing Sarkar.

The ODI series will take place on July 2, 5, and 8. The first two matches are scheduled at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, with the final game to be played 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. (ANI)

(The story has come from a syndicated feed and has not been edited by the Tribune Staff.)

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