Bangladesh squad for ICC Under 19 World Cup 2026 announced

Rajgeeta Yadav

Azizul Hakim Tamim named captain [Source: @BCBtigers/X]Azizul Hakim Tamim named captain [Source: @BCBtigers/X]

On Friday, the Bangladesh Cricket Board officially announced a 15-member squad for the ICC Under-19 World Cup, scheduled to be held in Zimbabwe and Namibia from January 15 to February 6. 

Young batter Azizul Hakim has been named captain of the Bangladesh Under-19 team. He has played more Youth One-Day Internationals than any other Bangladeshi player since the 2024 World Cup. 

Zawad Abrar has been appointed vice-captain. Notably, both players have been central figures in Bangladesh’s youth setup and will play a vital role during the tournament.

Azizul Hakim and Zawad Abrar power Bangladesh’s batting line-up

Azizul Hakim and Zawad Abrar stand out as the most dependable batters in the squad. Since the last Under-19 World Cup, they remain the only two Bangladesh batters to score more than 1,000 runs in Youth ODIs. 

In 2025, Azizul scored 879 runs, including one century and five half-centuries. Meanwhile, Zawad enjoyed a remarkable year with 977 runs, supported by two centuries and six fifties.

All-rounder Rizan Hossan has also been a key contributor with the bat. He scored 830 runs in 2025, which included seven half-centuries and one century. Players such as Kalam Siddiki and Rifat Beg add further depth to the batting order.

Bangladesh opt for stong pace-attack

The bowling department looks equally strong, with Bangladesh selecting the top three wicket-takers from the recent period. Fast bowlers Iqbal Hossain and Al Fahad, along with left-arm spinner Samiun Basir, headline the attack. 

It is worth mentioning that Fahad makes his return after recovering from injury, having missed the Under-19 Asia Cup in December. He replaces pacer Md Sobuj, who has been named among the standby players.

Azizul Hakim and Rizan Hossan are expected to support the main bowlers, as both have taken more than 20 wickets each since the previous World Cup.

Bangladesh have played more Youth ODIs than any other team since the 2024 World Cup. In 2025 alone, they featured in 28 matches and won 17 of them.

Bangladesh face tough test in group stage

Bangladesh have been placed in a challenging group alongside India, New Zealand, and the USA. Their campaign will begin against India on January 17 in Bulawayo. They will then face New Zealand on January 20 at the same venue, followed by a match against the USA on January 23 in Harare. Only three teams from each group will advance to the Super Six stage, making every match important.

In the 2024 edition held in the Caribbean, Bangladesh finished eighth. The Junior Tigers have lifted the Under-19 World Cup trophy once, achieving that historic success in South Africa in 2020.

Bangladesh's Under 19 World Cup squad:

Azizul Hakim Tamim (captain), Zawad Abrar (vc), Samiun Basir Ratul, Sheikh Parvez Jibon, Rizan Hossan, Shaharia Al Amin, Shadin Islam, Md Abdullah, Farid Hasan Faysal, Kalam Siddiki Aleen, Rifat Beg, Saad Islam Razin, Al Fahad, Shahriar Ahmed and Iqbal Hossain Emon

Standby: Abdur Rahim, Debashis Sarkar Deba, Rafi Uzzaman Rafi, Farhan Shahriar, Farzan Ahmed Alif, Sanjid Majumder and Md Sobuj