Najmul Hossain Shanto was dropped from the T20Is last year following a poor run of form. After more than a year’s gap, the former T20I skipper is back in the squad following his inclusion in the Asian Games squad.
His inclusion was not viewed as a stop-gap solution. Rather, the aim was to provide tactical stability.
Shanto last played in the format for the Tigers in May 2025 against the UAE in Sharjah, and despite getting starts, he was struggling to find his rhythm. In the last three years, he appeared in 25 T20Is, managing a strike-rate of 106.04 before eventually being dropped ahead of the three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka in July that year.
Then BCB chief selector Gazi Ashraf Hossain Lipu stated that they had talked to Shanto about what the batter needed to work on.
The southpaw had told this newspaper that his aim was to return to the T20I outfit by doing well in the BPL. And he kept his words.
On the opening day of the 2025-26 season, he hit an unbeaten 60-ball 101 for Rajshahi Warriors and ended the tournament with 355 runs at an average of just under 30 and a strike-rate of 135.49.
In the last three years, Bangladesh have tried 15 different opening partnerships. They have often suffered batting collapses even in the shorter format of the game. The team management, therefore, felt the need for greater stability.
The current selection panel, under Habibul Bashar, believes the strike-rate question was answered in the BPL.
In the last three years, Bangladesh have tried 15 different opening partnerships. They have often suffered batting collapses even in the shorter format of the game. The team management, therefore, felt the need for greater stability.
“There was talk of his strike-rate but we have seen that he batted at 130-plus strike-rate during the last BPL. He regularly scores runs in this format. Furthermore, he is a top-order batsman. We felt we needed someone in the top order who provides stability and holds one end steady,” Bashar told The Daily Star yesterday.
Shanto’s core technique ensures he is well adept against the moving ball, and the selectors, who are not keen on too many experiments, saw an opportunity to bolster the batting order while giving Shanto time to make a case for himself beyond the Asian Games.
“We only have about three games [in the Asian Games]. We have stated before that we won't make any changes or test anyone new right before the T20 World Cup,” Bashar reflected.
“When we take someone, it’s not because we will see them for two-three matches only. Whatever assessments we need to make, we will do them now. So, we are definitely keeping an eye on him as an option [for the T20 World Cup].”
Shanto hit a purple patch in Tests and also got back among the runs in ODIs against New Zealand and Australia.
“You can clearly see an upward improvement curve in his recent performances,” Bashar reminded.
For Shanto, that improvement has opened the door to a T20I return, while the Asian Games provide a platform to begin building his role as a stabilising presence ahead of the T20 World Cup.
