Nidahas Trophy: Shakib-Al-Hasan ruled out; new captain announced

Just before the commencement of Tri-Nation T20I series between India, Bangladesh and the host Sri Lanka, the Tigers have been dealt with a serious blow as they find their T20I captain Shakib-Al-Hasan to be ruled out of the Nidahas Trophy, the news was confirmed by the Bangladesh Board in a statement released today. A series among the neighbours that is set to be organised to mark Sri Lanka’s 70th year of independence won’t see the world’s current best all-rounder featuring in the prestigious tournament.

It is a major setback for Bangladesh given the value that Shakib adds to the side. The ace all-rounder is still nursing his left-hand injury that he sustained earlier this year in January in an ODI match against the Islanders. The incident took place while he was fielding in the final of the Tri-Nation series when he injured his finger and was unable to take any further part in the game. This came in at the wrong time for the team as he even missed the subsequent Test and T20I Series against the Sri Lankans that saw series defeats for the Tigers.

Who will lead the T20I side?

It is always difficult to fill in the shoes for such a huge player but in Shakib’s absence, Mahmudullah Riyad will do the honors to lead the T20I side in the upcoming tournament. As always injuries like these for some players bring in opportunities for others to prove their mettle at the international level. Likewise, Litton Kumar Das who has been roped in as the replacement for Shakib will be looking to give another shot to his T20I career.

After the departure of the captain, the onus is now on the other senior men with the likes of Interim skipper Mahmudullah along with experienced campaigners Tamim Iqbal and Mushfiqur Rahim to take the team’s responsibility as the road ahead won’t be easy for the comparatively weak looking Bangladesh side. The team is set to play their opening game of the tournament against the mighty Indians on March 8 at RPS Colombo.

Bangladesh squad: Mahmudullah Riyad (c),Tamim Iqbal, Soumya Sarkar Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Sabbir Rahman, Mustafizur Rahman, Rubel Hossain, Abu Jayed, Taskin Ahmed, Imrul Kayes, Nurul Hasan, Mehidy Hasan, Ariful Haque, Nazmul Islam, Abu Hider Rony, Litton Kumar Das.

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