Bangladesh have their T20I captain back, with Litton Das returning to the squad for the first two T20Is against the West Indies in Chattogram next week. Das had missed Bangladesh’s last five T20Is due to a side strain suffered during the Asia Cup last month.

The 30-year-old skipper missed two Asia Cup matches as well as Bangladesh’s 3-0 series win over Afghanistan in Sharjah, where Jaker Ali led the team. His return comes at the expense of Mohammad Saifuddin, who impressed with the ball in the third T20I against Afghanistan, taking three wickets for 15 runs in three overs.

Selectors have also left out Soumya Sarkar, who was part of the squad against Afghanistan but could not play due to visa issues. He is replaced by Parvez Hossain Emon, despite Emon scoring an 86-ball 91 in the third ODI against the West Indies in Dhaka.

Bangladesh Maintain Core Squad with Key Players in Top and Middle Order

The core of the squad that recently defeated Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Netherlands, and Afghanistan remains intact. Litton Das will lead the top order alongside Saif Hassan, Parvez Hossain Emon, and Tanzid Hasan. The middle order will feature Towhid Hridoy, Jaker Ali, Shamim Hossain, and Nurul Hasan.

See Also: WATCH: Virat Kohli distracts Travis Head gets next ball wicket goes viral in AUS vs IND 2nd ODI Adelaide

Bangladesh’s spin attack will include Rishad Hossain, Nasum Ahmed, and Mahedi Hasan, while the pace department comprises Mustafizur Rahman, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Taskin Ahmed, and Shoriful Islam. The three T20Is will be played in Chattogram on October 27, 29, and 31. Bangladesh will aim to maintain their strong momentum in the ongoing white-ball season, following their recent 2-1 ODI series win over the West Indies, which included one game decided in a Super Over.

Bangladesh Squad for First Two T20Is Against West Indies:

Litton Das (capt & wk), Tanzid Hasan, Parvez Hossain Emon, Saif Hassan, Towhid Hridoy, Jaker Ali, Shamim Hossain, Nurul Hasan (wk), Mahedi Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Nasum Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam.

Tilak Varma shared that he sustained a serious muscle injury after the 2022 Indian Premier League (IPL) season. Despite this setback, the young left-handed batsman, instead of taking a break from domestic cricket and letting his body rest, put too much load on it again and further aggravated the injury.

Tilak spoke about a significant highlight during the India A tour to Bangladesh in 2022, when he had to retire hurt in the middle of the game. At that time, he was already signed with the Mumbai Indians, and Akash Ambani intervened, contacting the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to ensure Tilak received proper treatment. The batter admitted that arriving even a few hours later at the hospital could have been life-threatening.

“I was playing an India A game in Bangladesh. After a point my eyes became watery, I was not even able to lift the bat and all my nerves were hard. I retired hurt and came out. Akash Ambani called me right away. He spoke to the BCCI and they helped me a lot. At the hospital, they told me it could have gotten worse if I had come even a few hours later. It was that bad. Even the needle was not going in. I just wanted to come out alive,” Tilak said on ‘Breakfast with Champions.'

Tilak Varma Credits Coach and Early Struggles for Mental Toughness

Tilak also credited his childhood coach for believing in him even before he was selected for the Hyderabad team. The 22-year-old explained that his resilience and mental strength stemmed from the challenges he faced in his early years.

See Also: 'I Wanted an Upright Stance for Bouncy..' – Shreyas Iyer reflects on his new batting technique after AUS vs IND 2nd ODI

“My coach told me that he knew I would make it big and become the number one player. He would tell me this even when I had not started playing for Hyderabad yet. Many people also went against me and told things to my coach. But he never listened to anyone and worked a lot on me. There were times when I even fell at people's feet asking for just one opportunity to play. That made me a hard person. People say I do well under pressure. But I have seen such things that make me hard and all this feels like nothing,” he said.

Tilak played a crucial role in the 2025 Asia Cup final, scoring a calm and composed half-century against Pakistan to help India win a low-scoring thriller in Dubai. He is set to return for the Indian team in the upcoming five-match T20I series against Australia, starting Wednesday, October 29.

After a heartbreaking Asia Cup 2025 campaign, Afghanistan was whitewashed by Bangladesh in the three-match T20I series. After the last match of the series, Afghanistan cricket team coach Jonathan Trott acknowledged that they are not the second-best team in Asia. 

Last night, at the Sharjah Cricket Ground, Bangladesh defeated Afghanistan by 6 wickets and 12 balls to spare. They chased down the 144-run target with ease. Before the match, Bangladesh was already leading the 3-match series by 2-0, which made the third and the last match for the home team a prestige fight. There too, the Afghanistan cricket team was unable to find the way to bounce back. 

For the last few years, the Afghanistan cricket team has been considered the dark horse in various ICC events, especially in T20I tournaments. On social media, a part of cricket fans also claimed the Rashid Khan-led team as the second-best team of the continent. But back-to-back setbacks gave them a reality check. 

Read More: 'Banda Dimag Se Pagal Hay...'- Former India pacer's huge remark on Shoaib Akhter and his career

Statements of Afghanistan coach after the defeat against Bangladesh 

Accepting the reality, Trott, without any hesitation, said that they are not the second-best cricket team in Asia. He is well aware of the speculations and claims on social media platforms labelling him as one of the best in the cricket world. But the former England cricketer and now Afghanistan cricket team coach opined that at present, they are not the second best in Asia. 

Afghanistan team coach accepted that they are not 2nd best team anymore ! Bangladesh whitewashed Afghanistan 3-0 , #afgvsban #Cricket #AsiaCup2025 #asia pic.twitter.com/yFEku9YvDV

— Altamash Iqbal (@altamashi25) October 5, 2025

"As it stands right now, we obviously are not the second-best team in Asia. So, I think all sorts of social media and media speculations are not accurate. All we've got to do is get better," Jonathan Trott said after the 0-3 whitewash against Bangladesh in the 3-match T20I series. 

A rare dismissal for Pakistan during their encounter with Bangladesh in the ongoing ICC Women's World Cup 2025 match on Thursday (October 2) at the R. Premadasa Stadium. During the 3rd match of the tournament, the PAK vs BAN match, Pakistan all-rounder Nashra Sandhu was dismissed for a hit wicket.

She went so deep into the crease that the blade touched the timber, and bales were displaced. An unfortunate way for the Pakistan women's cricket team to lose a wicket. The first inning of the game was slightly unexpected in nature. The Bangladesh women's cricket team dominated the innings from start to end. Pakistan never looked smooth on the track; losing wickets at quick intervals made their situation more cluttered.

They lost all 10 wickets for only 129 runs in 38.3 overs—a perfect example of batting disaster. Only 2 batters from the Pakistan women's team were able to score more than 20 runs in the match against the Bangladesh women's cricket team. 

Read More: [WATCH]: Jasprit Bumrah's trademark yorker uprooted Justin Greaves' wicket on Day 1 of IND vs WI 1st Test

A bit wicket dismissal during PAK vs BAN Women's ODI World Cup 2025

Sandhu was their ninth wicket to fall. On the second ball of the 35th over of the first innings, against the spinner Shorna Akter, she tried to position herself for a cut short. So, she went on the back foot; her eyes were on the ball, but she might not be aware of her position. When she slowly swung the bat, instead of hitting the ball, it was the stumps that got displaced. 

Watch the dismissal here

 

 

 

 

 

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The red lights in the stumps start to blink; Sandhu went for only 1 off 7. The Bangladesh women's cricket team needs only 130 runs to win the match in 50 overs. It's a hard task for Pakistan bowlers to do to protect the paltry total. 

Bangladesh’s interim rulers have declared that the country’s greatest cricketer, Shakib Al Hasan, will never play for the national team again after a public spat triggered by a birthday message to ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina.

The controversy began on Sunday when Shakib, 38, posted a picture with Hasina on social media, referring to her as “appa” (elder sister) and wishing her a happy birthday. Hasina, who ruled Bangladesh for 15 years before being forced to resign during mass student protests in August 2024, fled to India and has lived in exile since.

Shakib, a former Awami League member of parliament, has not returned to Bangladesh since the agitation began last July. While he has retired from T20Is and largely stepped away from Tests, he still plays ODI cricket and is widely regarded as Bangladesh’s finest-ever player.

Government’s Hard Line

On Monday, Asif Mahmud, sports adviser to the interim government, told Dhaka-based Channel 24 that Shakib would never again don the red and green jersey. “We cannot let him carry the Bangladesh flag,” Mahmud said. “It won’t be possible for me to allow him to wear the Bangladesh jersey. My clear direction for the BCB is that Shakib Al Hasan can never again play for Bangladesh.”

Mahmud accused the all-rounder of being “deeply entangled” with Awami League politics, dismissing Shakib’s claim that he had only contested elections to serve his constituency in Magura.

Social Media Spat

Before his television remarks, Mahmud appeared to respond to Shakib on Facebook, writing: “All of you have abused me a lot for not rehabilitating one person. But I was right. End of the discussion.”

Shakib fired back almost immediately: “So someone has finally accepted that it’s because of him that I can never put on the Bangladesh jersey again, because of whom I can’t play for Bangladesh again. Maybe I will return to my motherland one day. Love you, Bangladesh.”

ALSO SEE: 'Dream Come True...'- Dinesh Karthik Joins Sharjah Warriorz for ILT20 Season 4

Shakib Defends Birthday Post

Speaking later, Shakib defended his message to Hasina, insisting it had no political intent. “She has always followed cricket seriously. We had a relationship through that even before politics,” Shakib told Channel 24. “I wished her from that point of view. There was no other motive.”

A Cricketer in Exile

Shakib last played for Bangladesh in late 2024 against Pakistan and India but has since been left out of the national side. He continues to feature in franchise leagues abroad, spending much of his time in the USA.

The interim government has also confirmed that the cricketer is under federal investigation for allegedly embezzling over £15 million from the stock market, further clouding his chances of a comeback.

For now, the man who has carried Bangladesh cricket for nearly two decades appears to have played his last match for the country, not because of his form or fitness, but due to politics far beyond the cricket field.

Pakistan secured their spot in the Asia Cup 2025 final after prevailing over Bangladesh by 11 runs in a nailbiting low-scoring thriller at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Thursday, allowing them to face bitter rivals India for the first time in an Asia Cup final.

Bangladesh, led by stand-in skipper Jaker Ali, chose to bowl first. The Bangladesh bowlers were outstanding, restricting Pakistan to 135/8. Taskin Ahmed finished with 3/28, while leg-spinner Rishad Hossain took a commendable 2/18. Pakistan’s batting struggled, losing wickets regularly. Sahibzada Farhan fell in the first over, and Saim Ayub recorded his fourth duck in six innings. Fakhar Zaman scored 13 before departing, and Hussain Talat was soon out. Mohammad Haris (31 off 23) and Mohammad Nawaz (25 off 15) added some runs, while Shaheen Shah Afridi contributed 19, hitting the first six of the innings before falling to Taskin.

Bangladesh’s chase began poorly as Shaheen Afridi struck in the opening over to remove Parvez Hossain Emon and then dismissed Towhid Hridoy. Saif Hassan counterattacked with 18 off 15 but fell to Haris Rauf, triggering a collapse. Shamim Hossain (30 off 25) tried to stabilize the innings, but wickets continued to fall. Saim Ayub picked up two important wickets, including captain Jaker Ali. Haris Rauf dismissed Tanzim Sakib and Taskin Ahmed in quick succession, while Shaheen Afridi claimed a three-wicket haul. Bangladesh’s lower order fought hard, with Rishad Hossain scoring 16 off 11, but they eventually fell short, finishing on 124/9.

PAK vs BAN: Who Said What?

Shaheen Shah Afridi (Player of the Match):

"I will dedicate this award to my beautiful wife and son who are here. You need early breakthroughs. Those three overs made the difference in the powerplay. I was working on the slower ball. It came out well in the main time. Team decided I will go with Nawaz and Faheem behind me. I got two sixes and that gave us the momentum."

See Also: WATCH: Saim Ayub’s batting woes continue with fourth duck in Asia Cup 2025 PAK vs BAN Super 4 clash

Salman Agha (Pakistan Captain):

"If you win these kind of games, then we must be a special team. Everyone played really well. There is some improvement needed in batting. But we will work on that. Shaheen is a special player. He does what the team needs of him. Very happy for him. We were 15 runs short. The way we bowled up front, we will create pressure. We bowled well with the new ball. More often that not you will games if you bowl like this. We have been fielding well. Shane has been working hard on us. We have been having extra sessions. Mike Hesson said if you cant field, you wont be in the team. We are a good enough team to beat anyone. We will come back on Sunday and try and do that."

Jaker Ali (Bangladesh Captain):

"As a batting unit, last two games we lost it. We did good work with the bowling unit. Yesterday also the batting cost us the game. I tried to take those chances. I tried to adjust to the captaincy. Our bowlers Rishad and then Said with the bat. Unfortunately, we didn't support Saif much."

Pakistan won a thrilling Super 4 match 5 of the Asia Cup 2025 against Bangladesh by 11 runs at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Pakistan batted first and only mustered 135/8. There were a couple of notable contributions from Mohammad Haris (31 off 23), Mohammad Nawaz (25 off 15) and Shaheen Afridi (19 off 13). Even with a low total, Pakistan's disciplined bowling and fielding made it impossible for Bangladesh to chase the target. Bangladesh began their innings as well as they could, but as Bangladesh faced and succumbed to loss after loss, the pressure from the Pakistan bowlers increased, putting Pakistan clearly ahead in the match. Below are the main reasons for Bangladesh defeat:

1. Top-order collapse

Bangladesh got off to a poor start in their innings as they lost key top-order wickets early on. By the seventh over, they were 38/3, putting pressure on the middle order, which is now a weakness. The early top-order losses had forced the batters to risk shots while trying to stabilize the innings.

2. Disciplined Pakistan bowling

Pakistan’s bowlers, led primarily by Shaheen Afridi (3/17) and Haris Rauf (3/33), struck early and often. Spin bowlers Saim Ayub (2/16), Mohammad Nawaz (1/14) and Abrar Ahmed bowled tightly, limiting how freely Bangladesh could score. The sum of these efforts made it difficult for Bangladesh to rotate the strike or increase their run rate.

See Also: [WATCH] India vs Pakistan Super 4 clash in Asia Cup 2025 was fixed? Former Pakistan captain makes jaw-dropping statement

3. Lack of partnerships and inability to accelerate

While middle and lower-order batters, such as Shamim Hossain (30 off 25) and Rishad Hossain (16 off 11), resisted early on, Bangladesh was never able to build significant partnerships. They were not able to apply a high scoring rate at crucial times, which forced the lower order to be nearly flawless in the closing overs.

The Super 4 stage of the Asia Cup 2025 really heats up as Pakistan (PAK) battle Bangladesh (BAN) in a virtual knockout at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Thursday, September 25 at 8:00 PM IST. With both teams coming into this clash with a loss, the stakes could not be higher, the loser will be out of contention for the final.

Pakistan, led by Salman Ali Agha, have shown mixed results in the Super Four stage, winning one match and losing one. The batting has been led by Sahibzada Farhan (156 runs in 5 matches), and Fakhar Zaman (122 runs). The bowling has led by Shaheen Afridi, and Saim Ayub both taking 6 wickets. Pakistan has won 3 of their last 5 matches, and they will be trying to continue their Asia Cup campaign with another strong performance.

Bangladesh also has one win and one loss making this a must-win game. Towhid Hridoy (127 runs) and Litton Das have led the batting, while Mustafizur Rahman (7 wickets) and Taskin Ahmed have both bowled well. A win in this match will guarantee their position in the final.

PAK vs BAN: Head-to-Head

Pakistan and Bangladesh have faced each other 25 times in T20Is, with Pakistan holding a dominant record.

• Matches Played: 25
• Won by Pakistan: 20
• Won by Bangladesh: 5

PAK vs BAN: Stadium Stats

The Dubai International Stadium has historically produced balanced games, though chasing teams typically have the highest win rate under lights.

• Matches Played: 76
• Win Bat First: 39%
• Win Bowl First: 59%
• Average 1st Innings Score: 142
• Average 2nd Innings Score: 130
• Highest Total: 212/2 by India vs Afghanistan
• Lowest Total: 55/10 by West Indies vs England
• Highest Successful Chase: 184/8 by Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh
• Lowest Total Defended: 135/6 by Canada vs Netherlands

See Also: Top 3 reasons why Bangladesh lost to India in Asia Cup 2025 Super 4 match 4

IND vs PAK: Predicted Playing XIs

Pakistan (PAK): Saim Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan, Fakhar Zaman, Salman Ali Agha (c), Mohammad Haris (wk), Khushdil Shah, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed

Bangladesh (BAN): Parvez Hossain Emon, Tanzid Hasan, Litton Das (c & wk), Towhid Hridoy, Shamim Hossain Patwari, Jaker Ali Anik, Mahedi Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Mustafizur Rahman, Taskin Ahmed

Asia Cup 2025: Super 4 Points Table

In Super 4, after the completion of four match, the points table looks like this.

India secured their place in the final of the Asia Cup 2025 with a 41-run win against Bangladesh on Wednesday in Dubai. They remained unbeaten in the tournament and confirmed their supreme championship form with bat and ball. Abhishek Sharma starred once more at the top, and the bowlers made sure Bangladesh's chase never take off.

Opting to bowl first, Bangladesh made the bold call of putting India in, but openers Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill took full advantage of the powerplay. The duo added 77 runs in just over six overs, with Abhishek smashing 75 off 37 balls.Even though the middle order struggled in the middle overs, Hardik Pandya's gradual and steady 38 off 29 deliveries helped India to 168/6 in 20 overs, which was a match-winning total.

Bangladesh stumbled early in the chase, losing Tanzid Hasan cheaply to Jasprit Bumrah early. Saif Hassan gave the innings hope with a fighting 69, but India’s spinners, particularly Kuldeep Yadav with 3/18, took apart their middle order. Varun Chakaravarthy and Axar Patel added crucial breakthroughs, while Bumrah finished with 2/18 to wrap up the innings at 127 in 19.3 overs. The result confirmed India as the first team in the final, while Bangladesh now face Pakistan in a must-win clash.

IND vs BAN: Who Said What ?

Abhishek Sharma (Player of the Match):

"I got the job done for my team, I have told before also, I go with the flow. When it's in my range, I go after the first ball as well and try to get the powerplay for my team. In a few matches, I wanted to go for the first ball because they wanted to get a wicket. This was a fresh wicket, I wanted to have a look, so me and Shubman decided to have a look and then go. I always wanted to go with the field, I always see the field and then go for my shots. I want to play according to the field. I have done a lot of work in the practice sessions, that is a time when the batter gets to play a lot of balls. When you play too many shots in the net, you can get out but I practice and try to not to get out in the nets."

See Also: T20 Asia Cup defending champions Sri Lanka eliminated from Asia Cup 2025

Suryakumar Yadav (India Captain):

"We didn't get to bat first in this tournament, I think we batted first against Oman but we wanted to bat first in the Super Fours and see how it goes. Looking at their bowling lineup, they had a left arm-spinner and leg spinner, I think Dube was perfect for that occasion in that 7-15 overs range. If the outfield would have been really fast, it would have been 180-185 but with the bowling lineups we have, if we bowl 12-14 good overs, we will win on most occasions."

Jaker Ali (Bangladesh Captain):

"It's quite surprising, but I take the preparation. All the credit goes to the boys, after ten overs they adjusted brilliantly. We can take lots of things from this game, we have another game tomorrow. We have to keep in mind that we can win tomorrow and play the final. Let's see what kind of combination we are going to go but we will give our best."

India secured their spot in the Asia Cup 2025 final after defeating Bangladesh by 41 runs in Super 4 Match 4. India batted first and had made 72 runs without losing a wicket through their powerplay, helped by Abhishek Sharma scoring 75 runs off just 37 balls. Bangladesh's bowlers came back in the middle overs, limiting India's total to 168 for 6. In reply, Bangladesh’s batting faltered despite Saif Hassan’s fighting 69, as they were bowled out for 127 in 19.3 overs. Key Indian spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakaravarthy sealed the win with tight spells. Below are the main reasons for Bangladesh defeat:

1. Failure to capitalize on India’s slowdown

India started fast but slowed down after the openers fell. Bangladesh’s bowlers, especially Rishad Hossain (2/27) and Tanzim Hasan Sakib (1/29), kept them to 168. But Bangladesh couldn’t use that advantage with the bat.

2. No support for Saif Hassan

Saif Hassan played a fine knock of 69 off 51 balls, but the rest of the batting lineup collapsed. Most of his partners failed to reach double digits, as India’s spinners Kuldeep Yadav (3/18) and Varun Chakaravarthy (2/29) dominated.

See Also: [WATCH] Axar Patel strikes big: Towhid Hridoy falls to his spin web in IND vs BAN Super 4 Asia Cup 2025 clash

3. Missing captain and team disruption

Bangladesh was missing their captain Litton Das who was out with injury. The four changes in XI also affected their balance and rhythm even further, presenting a stiff task to overcome the talented Indian side.