Bangladesh has named a revamped 16-man squad for their upcoming three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka, with five changes from their previous campaign and one major headline: Najmul Hossain Shanto has been dropped.

Shanto, who captained the side as recently as January, has endured a torrid 2024 with the bat, managing just one fifty in 21 T20Is and averaging a modest 18.84. Having lost the captaincy earlier this year, the 25-year-old now finds himself completely out of the squad a clear sign of Bangladesh’s intent to reset ahead of future T20I commitments.

The series will be played across three venues:

• July 10 in Pallekele
• July 13 in Dambulla
• July 16 in Colombo

Bangladesh Bring Back In-Form Stars Ahead of Sri Lanka Series

Replacing Shanto at the top will be Mohammad Naim, whose domestic form made him impossible to ignore. Naim was the top run-scorer in both the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) and National Cricket League (NCL) T20s, scoring 827 runs at a strike rate of 140.40, including a century and six half-centuries. His return gives Bangladesh a fresh left-handed option in the top order.

Bangladesh has also received a boost in the bowling department, with the fit-again duo Taskin Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman returning to the T20I setup. Both pacers played the first ODI of the ongoing series against Sri Lanka and are now set to lead the attack in the shorter format.

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All-rounder Mohammad Saifuddin has also been recalled after over a year out. He had stepped away from international cricket after his exclusion from the T20 World Cup 2024 squad, but stormed back with 37 wickets across the BPL and Dhaka Premier League. The final change sees Nasum Ahmed replacing Tanvir Islam as the frontline left-arm spinner, as selectors continue to experiment in the spin department.

Bangladesh T20I Squad vs Sri Lanka

Litton Das (capt), Tanzid Hasan, Parvez Hossain Emon, Mohammad Naim, Towhid Hridoy, Jaker Ali, Shamim Hossain, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Rishad Hossain, Mahedi Hasan, Nasum Ahmed, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Shoriful Islam, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Mohammad Saifuddin

With a blend of experience and in-form domestic performers, Bangladesh will hope this shake-up sparks a turnaround in their T20I fortunes against a confident Sri Lankan side.