Najmul Shanto shown the door; 4 noticeable Bangladesh absentees from T20 World Cup squad

Najmul Shanto for Bangladesh - (Source: AFP)

On Sunday, January 4, 2026, Bangladesh announced a 15-member squad for the T20 World Cup 2026, scheduled to take place in India and Sri Lanka from February 7. The Tigers have undergone significant changes in their squad since the last edition.

Firstly, there is a change in leadership as Litton Das will lead the squad. Similarly, there are a lot of noticeable absentees in the 15-member squad. Therefore, this article will shed light on key players missing from the team and also highlight the potential reasons behind their ouster.

1. Mehidy Hasan Miraz

The first important name not part of the squad is Mehidy Hasan Miraz. The 28-year-old, who is currently leading Bangladesh in ODIs, has been ignored for the prestigious event in India and Sri Lanka. Hasan has been in the scheme of things since 2024, but has failed to impress the selectors with his performance.

If we deep dive into Miraz’s stats, the all-rounder has played nine matches in two years for The Tigers and scored just 170 runs, failing to reach the fifty-run mark even once. 

Even with the ball, Miraz failed to perform, having just five wickets in eight innings since 2024. Therefore, the BCB went ahead with a specialised player and looked past Miraz for the upcoming event in India. 

Mehidy Hasan Miraz's stats in 2025

2. Nahid Rana

Another noticeable name missing from the team is Nahid Rana. The 23-year-old rose to fame in 2024 when he clocked 150 kmph and was touted to be the next big thing in Bangladesh cricket. However, much to everyone’s dismay, the BCB didn’t present enough opportunities to the right-arm seamer as Rana only featured in one T20I in 2025.

Bangladesh already struggles for quality seamers, and Rana’s inclusion would have made an immense difference. Further, talking about his performance in 2025, the 23-year-old picked up two wickets against the UAE. Therefore, he deserved a place in the team, and to see him miss out on the T20 World Cup 2026 squad is shocking.

3. Najmul Shanto

Talking about shocking exclusions, Najmul Shanto’s exclusion also raises eyebrows. The 27-year-old, who led The Tigers in the T20 World Cup 2024, will sit at home for the upcoming edition as the selectors have turned their eye away from the right-handed batter. 

Notably, Najmul was in Bangladesh’s scheme of things for the entire 2024, but in 2025, the BCB moved away from him, and the 27-year-old featured in just one T20I. In 2024, Shanto played 20 games and amassed 358 runs, averaging just 18.84.

Therefore, the patience ran out, and Shanto was presented with a solitary opportunity in 2025, where he also scored only 27 runs.

4. Jaker Ali

Interestingly, Jaker Ali was leading Bangladesh in T20Is a few months ago and has been shown the door all of a sudden. Notably, Ali led the team in the Asia Cup 2025 when Litton Das was ruled out of the tournament midway. 

However, Ali’s performance has not been up to the mark. Bangladesh expects Jaker to perform the power-hitter and finisher’s role, but if we look at Ali’s stats, he played 23 innings and scored 378 runs, averaging just 22.23. Further, his strike rate has been just 123.93, which does not match the modern standards of the game.

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