Bangladesh has appointed Najmul Hossain Shanto as the captain for the upcoming third ODI against New Zealand, which is scheduled to take place in Mirpur on Tuesday. The Bangladesh team has made significant changes to its lineup compared to the first two ODIs, where several World Cup-bound players were rested. For the third ODI, most of these rested players are making their return, while the stand-in captain Litton Das, Tamim Iqbal, and Mustafizur Rahman, who featured in the first two games, have been given a break.
Among the returning players are Mushfiqur Rahim, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taskin Ahmed, and Shoriful Islam. To accommodate their return, Soumya Sarkar, Nurul Hasan, and Khaled Ahmed have been omitted from the squad. Najmul Hossain Shanto is making a comeback from a hamstring injury he suffered during the Asia Cup in Sri Lanka, where he was the highest run-scorer for Bangladesh. The players who were given breaks after the Asia Cup will be seeking valuable game time ahead of the World Cup.
Furthermore, Litton Das is still dealing with the after-effects of a viral fever he contracted last month, while Tamim Iqbal, who had returned for the New Zealand series after a back injury, mentioned feeling discomfort after his first match in over two months.
As it stands, New Zealand holds a 1-0 lead in the three-match series, with the first match being abandoned and the second won by New Zealand by a margin of 86 runs.
The Bangladesh squad for the third ODI consists of:
- Najmul Hossain Shanto (captain)
- Tanzid Hasan Tamim
- Zakir Hasan
- Anamul Haque Bijoy
- Towhid Hridoy
- Mahmudullah
- Mushfiqur Rahim
- Mehidy Hassan Miraz
- Mahedi Hasan
- Nasum Ahmed
- Taskin Ahmed
- Shoriful Islam
- Hasan Mahmud
- Rishad Hossain