Last Updated on 2 months by Charbel Coorey
Bangladesh 2025 Champions Trophy squad: Najmul Hossain Shanto (c), Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Towhid Hridoy, Soumya Sarkar, Tanzid Hasan, Mahmudullah, Jaker Ali, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Rishad Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Parvez Hossain, Nasum Ahmed, Tanzim Hasan, Nahid Rana
Bangladesh in ODIs since the 2023 ODI World Cup
Matches played: 12
Matches won: 4
Matches lost: 8
W/L ratio: 0.500
Batting run rate: 5.58
Most runs for Bangladesh in ODIs since the 2023 World Cup:
- Soumya Sarkar (LHB): 430 runs, AVG: 43.00, SR: 93.68, 100s: 1, 50s: 2
- Najmul Hossain Shanto (LHB): 358 runs, AVG: 59.66, SR: 84.43, 100s: 1, 50s: 2
- Mehidy Hasan Miraz (RHB): 352 runs, AVG: 39.11, SR: 72.27, 100s: 0, 50s: 3
- Mahmudullah (RHB): 337 runs, AVG: 48.14, SR: 95.19, 100s: 0, 50s: 3
Most wickets for Bangladesh in ODIs since the 2023 World Cup:
- Taskin Ahmed (right-arm pace): 14 wickets, AVG: 23.92, ECO: 5.31
- Shoriful Islam (left-arm pace): 13 wickets, AVG: 34.30, ECO: 5.33
- Mustafizur Rahman (left-arm pace): 11 wickets, AVG: 24.27, ECO: 5.37
Bangladesh 2025 Champions Trophy Squad SWOT Analysis: Can the Tigers spring a surprise?
Shakib and Litton left out of the squad
The biggest news surrounding Bangladesh’s squad announcement has been the high-profile axing of Litton Das.
Bangladesh’s chief selector, Gazi Ashraf Hossain, explained Litton’s exclusion, stating: “Litton is out of form. He keeps getting out in a similar manner and struggles to capitalise during the powerplay in the white-ball format. He’s unable to stay at the crease and is being consistently exposed. Opposition analysts have been increasingly successful against him. We gave him multiple chances, but there isn’t much trust left.
“We’ve taken Litton’s past performances into account, especially his recent form. It became difficult to have confidence in him when he failed to score runs in the West Indies, while the other batters contributed to big totals. We’ll be playing on good batting wickets in Rawalpindi. New Zealand lost there despite posting 336, so we need in-form top-order batters.”
While Litton’s recent numbers are undeniably poor, he remains one of Bangladesh’s top batting talents, and it could be argued that he still could’ve made the squad.
Besides Litton, Shakib Al Hasan also missed out on selection after failing a second independent assessment of his bowling action. His exclusion from the squad likely signals the end of the 37-year-old’s ODI career.
“There is problem with his [Shakib] bowling action as it is negative,” Ashraf said. “We have thought about him only as a batsman but could not give him a place in the combination only as a batsman.”
Bangladesh’s Revitalised Pace Attack
Bangladesh’s pace attack is on the rise, with a newfound surplus of resources. Taskin leads the charge, while Mustafizur remains a white-ball mainstay. They also have the 22-year-old Nahid Rana, their latest pace sensation, and Tanzim Hasan, who brings his own unique strengths. Meanwhile, players like Shoriful, Ebadot and Hasan Mahmud haven’t even made the squad.
In Taskin, Bangladesh have a tall 6’ 2’’ tall hit-the-deck seamer who’s more than handy with the new ball. The contrast in his numbers before and after 2023 highlights how he has evolved recently, emerging as one of the more exciting pacers in world cricket.
Taskin will likely be complemented by the even quicker and taller Nahid Rana, an out-and-out fast bowler from Chapainawabganj who debuted early last year and showed impressive improvement throughout the year. Rana, who can consistently bowl at 145kph and maintain his pace for long periods, is Bangladesh’s fastest bowler ever. He played key roles in Bangladesh’s historic first-ever Test series win against Pakistan and their first Test victory in the West Indies since 2009.
Rana will be competing with Tanzim Hasan, who can also bowl over 140kph and has an elbow hyperextension, for the third seamer spot, with the experienced Mustafizur locked in as the second seamer.
Spin Concerns: Can Bangladesh Find Answers Without Shakib?
While Bangladesh’s fast-bowling resources appear settled, their spin attack, in contrast, is an area of concern, especially with Shakib Al Hasan absent.
Bangladesh have finally found a wrist spinner in Rishad Hossain — who also adds value in the lower order, making him an exciting prospect — but he remains raw, often erring in his length by being either too full or too short. Mehidy’s bowling form has also been off; he’s averaging 56.22 in 12 ODIs since the World Cup. Although Nasum Ahmed offers some useful left-arm spin, the spin department as a whole doesn’t seem threatening enough.
Top Order Woes for Bangladesh
Bangladesh’s top order has been a concern over the past couple of years, to the point that the selectors recently held a meeting with Tamim Iqbal ahead of the squad announcement to discuss his potential comeback.
The 24-year-old Tanzid Hasan, nicknamed Tamim, was selected ahead of the experienced Tamim Iqbal for the 2023 World Cup but has struggled to establish himself at the top of the order since then. The encouraging sign is that he scored the second-most runs in the 2025 Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), and Bangladesh will hope he can carry that form into the Champions Trophy.
Meanwhile, his opening partner, Soumya Sarkar, has also struggled with consistency in this format and is returning after a finger injury. Skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto, the only Bangladesh batter to score multiple hundreds and over 1,000 runs in ODIs since 2023, occupies the No. 3 spot, creating a top three of left-handers and leaving the top order vulnerable to off-spin.
Data suggests that they may also struggle against left-arm new-ball pace.
Middle Order Reshuffle: Injury Returns and Form Concerns
With Mushfiqur and Hridoy recovering from their respective injuries and set to return to the team, they should slot back into the middle order, with Mehidy Hasan Miraz likely returning to No. 7. Mahmudullah, who has scores of 98, 50*, 62 and 84* in his last 4 ODIs, will round out the batting lineup. It’s harsh that Jaker Ali, who has been one of their better batters in recent times, will likely end up on the bench.
While Mushfiqur is a fine player of spin and can be especially valuable for a subcontinent tournament, his recent ODI appearances have been limited, and his form over the past couple of years has not been up to his usual standards. He isn’t getting any younger either. Towhid Hridoy, regarded as one of Bangladesh’s most promising young batters and an X-factor in white-ball cricket, has also been in patchy form of late.
A major concern for the batting lineup is their ability to handle short-pitched fast bowling, a weakness that was exposed during the 2023 World Cup. Besides, they could also struggle with maintaining a healthy scoring rate.
Bangladesh Predicted Starting XI for the 2025 Champions Trophy
1. Tanzid Hasan, 2. Soumya Sarkar, 3. Najmul Hossain Shanto (c), 4. Towhid Hridoy, 5. Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 6. Mahmudullah, 7. Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 8. Rishad Hossain/Nasum Ahmed, 9. Taskin Ahmed, 10. Nahid Rana/Tanzim Hasan Sakib, 11. Mustafizur Rahman
Bangladesh Squad SWOT Summary
Strengths:
- A potent fast-bowling unit led by Taskin.
- Experience in the middle order.
- Good form of captain Najmul Hossain Shanto and the experienced Mahmudullah.
Weaknesses:
- Struggles with consistency and form in the top order.
- Fragile spin options in the absence of Shakib.
- Vulnerability to short-pitched bowling and left-arm new-ball pace.
- Potential difficulty in maintaining competitive scoring rates.
- All left-handers are stacked together in the top order, while all right-handers are clumped in the middle order.
Opportunities:
- Chance for young pacers like Nahid Rana and Tanzim Hasan to establish themselves on the international stage.
- A short tournament increases unpredictability, where a few good days could propel them to the last-four stage.
Threats:
- Rawalpindi being a high-scoring venue could put further pressure on their batting.
- Arguably the weakest team in the group.
- Injury to injury-prone Taskin, who is Bangladesh’s best bowler.
Written by Sparsh Telang. Follow on X on @_cricketsparsh
