Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka: Hosts name 5 new faces in the T20I squad

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has announced the 15-member squad for the first match of the upcoming T20I series against Sri Lanka. In a very surprising move, the selectors have opted to field as many as five new faces in the squad. Clearly, they are keen on trying out the new faces in the shortest format of the game. Veteran cricketer Shakib Al Hasan is all set to lead the team yet again.

Shakib was recently appointed as the captain of the T20I side. While Shakib is set to lead the side, another veteran cricketer, Soumya Sarkar, has also found a place in the squad. In the recent times, Soumya Sarkar has been going through a tough phase with the bat. It will be interesting to see if he justifies his selection with good performances this time around. The other senior members in the team are Tamim Iqbal and Mushfiqur Rahim. Sabbir Rahman, despite a poor run in the recent times, has found a place as well.

Meanwhile, the five new faces who have been included in the side are Afif Hossain, Ariful Haque, Zakir Hasan, Mahedi Hasan and Abu Jayed Rahi. Interestingly, it is apparent that all these five players have been rewarded with national call ups following their impressive show in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) this season. Also, Afif Hossain was one of the top performers for the Bangladeshi side in the recently concluded ICC U19 World Cup.

Afif had finished the tournament with an aggregate of276 runs at a stunning average of 46. This included four fifties as well. Furthermore, the youngster had picked up 9 wickets as well, which included a five-wicket haul. The first match of the T20I series will be played on February 15, 2018. The match will be played at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka.

Here is the Bangladesh squad for the T20I series:

Shakib Al Hasan (c), Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Tamim Iqbal, Soumya Sarkar, Mahmudullah Riyad, Sabbir Rahman, Mustafizur Rahman, Rubel Hossain, Mohammad Saifuddin, Abu Haider Rony, Abu Jayed Rahi, Ariful Haque, Mahedi Hasan, Zakir Hasan, Afif Hossain.

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