Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has announced the 16-member complete squad for the upcoming Asia Cup 2025, where a star all-rounder will miss the tournament. 

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) will host the Asia Cup 2025, the 17th Asia Cup, and the third T20 edition of the tournament. Three-time Asia Cup runners-up, who were also the runners-up in the inaugural Asia Cup T20 in 2016, are in Group B in the 2025 edition along with Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, and Hong Kong. After playing their tournament opener on September 11 against Hong Kong, they will face Sri Lanka and Afghanistan on September 13 and 16, respectively. The top two teams of the group will advance to the Super 4 of the tournament. 

ODI captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz will miss Asia Cup 2025

Litton Das will continue to lead the Bangladesh T20I team in the upcoming Asia Cup 2025. However, their new regular ODI captain, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, will miss the upcoming tournament. The all-rounder will also miss the upcoming home T20I series against the Netherlands, as he is supporting his wife, who is not keeping well. 

Mohammad Naim has also been dropped from the T20I squad, while Saif Hasan and Nurul Hasan have returned to the Bangladesh T20I squad for the upcoming Asia Cup.

See Also: "We will go to become champions" - Bangladesh cricketer Jaker Ali makes bold claim for Asia Cup 2025

Bangladesh eyeing first Asia Cup trophy

Bangladesh have a high hope for the upcoming Asia Cup 2025. Recently, they won the away T20I series against the hosts Sri Lanka and the home T20I series against Pakistan. The Asia Cup 2025 will play a strong preparation role for them for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026. India and Sri Lanka will host the upcoming Men's T20 World Cup in February and March 2026.

Bangladesh complete squad for Asia Cup 2025: Litton Das (captain and wk), Tanzid Hasan, Parvez Hossain Emon, Saif Hassan, Towhid Hridoy, Jaker Ali, Shamim Hossain, Nurul Hasan, Mahedi Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Nasum Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Tanzim Hasan, Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Mohammad Saifuddin

Due to a personal problem, an important Bangladesh cricketer will miss the upcoming home T20I series against the Netherlands, which will be their preparation for the Asia Cup 2025.  

Mehidy Hasan Miraz takes leave from Bangladesh squad

The 27-year-old Bangladesh all-rounder Mehidy Hasan Miraz has taken a leave from the upcoming home T20I series against the Netherlands to support his wife, who isn't keeping well. Sylhet will host the three-match T20I series against the Netherlands, which has been scheduled on August 30, September 1, and 3. 

Bangladesh lost the final T20I of the three-match series against Pakistan by 74 runs in Mirpur. It was a big defeat on a pitch that was good for batting.

Captain Litton Das said the team did not do well with both bat and ball. He said, “This was a 180-190 kind of surface. If we had played smart cricket, chasing 180 was possible. But sadly, we failed as a batting unit today.”

One big talking point was Mehidy Hasan Miraz batting at No. 4, ahead of regular middle-order batters like Jaker Ali Anik and Shamim Hossain. Litton explained the decision after the match, “Miraz can bat at No. 4. He has done it before for Bangladesh. We thought it would be better if Jaker and Shamim came in later. That’s why we sent Miraz early.”

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Litton Talks About Team Growth and Areas to Improve

Reflecting on his journey as captain and the team's progress, Litton Das said, “In the early matches, we didn’t have Taskin or Mustafizur. Everyone knows what Mustafizur can do. Having a full-strength team against Sri Lanka and now Pakistan made a big difference. I think the biggest area we still need to work on is death bowling, especially from bowlers other than Mustafizur.”

Better Pitch, Unexpected Result

The team expected another low-scoring match like the first two, where 140–150 was enough. But this time the pitch was much better. Litton said, “At first, we didn’t think it would be a 180-run wicket. Full credit to Sahibzada Farhan for giving Pakistan a strong start. The pitch was actually very good for batting today.”

Talking about team selection, Litton added, “When a squad is picked, it’s always the best available. Our job is to choose the best XI. Today, we wanted to give everyone a chance. In this format, fitness is very important, and this series helped us check that. If we get another series soon, it will help us even more.”

Bangladesh’s ODI series against Sri Lanka ended in disappointment. The visitors lost the series 2-1 after a heavy 99-run defeat in the third and final ODI.

Many things are being questioned about the Tigers’ performance, but one big talking point is the absence of leg-spinner Rishad Hossain during the whole series. Even though Rishad was part of the squad, he did not play a single match. Instead, left-arm spinner Tanvir Islam played in all three games. He also took a match-winning five-wicket haul in the second ODI, which helped Bangladesh level the series.

Why Rishad Hossain Didn’t Play – Captain Miraz Explains

Originally, Rishad Hossain was in the team’s plans for the first ODI. But an illness at the wrong time ruled him out of the match. This gave Tanvir Islam a chance to play — and he grabbed the opportunity with both hands. After his match-winning five-wicket haul in the second ODI, he kept his place in the team for the rest of the series.

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Captain Miraz Clears the Air

Speaking at the post-match press conference, Bangladesh skipper Mehidy Hasan Miraz explained why Rishad was not picked again: "(smiles) Look, if a player takes five wickets and wins you the match, you can’t really drop him. On turning pitches, we often go with three spinners and two pacers. But in this series, the pitch supported pace more. You could see that most of the wickets — for both teams — went to fast bowlers. So, tactically, it made sense to keep that combination. We are not too worried about it."

Sri Lanka Seals the Series with a Big Win

In the final ODI, Sri Lankan captain Kusal Mendis played a brilliant knock, scoring 124 off 114 balls. Their pace bowlers also did well, each taking three wickets. Sri Lanka won the match by 99 runs and clinched the series 2-1.

Mendis Praises Bangladesh

Speaking in Sinhalese during the post-match press conference (with his media manager translating), Kusal Mendis said: "Bangladesh are a strong Test-playing team. Yes, they are in a transition phase, but their batting, bowling, and fielding still show good quality. With time, they will bounce back and return to their best."

Bangladesh Test captain Najmul Hossain Shanto is reportedly set to step down from his leadership role after the ongoing two-match Test series against Sri Lanka.

According to a report by Cricbuzz, sources close to the development confirmed on Saturday that the left-handed batter is likely to inform the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) of his decision soon. While his batting form remains strong — as shown by his twin centuries in the Galle Test — Shanto is said to be deeply hurt by the way he was removed from ODI captaincy without any prior discussion.

It is still unclear whether Najmul Hossain Shanto will make an official announcement after the second Test in Colombo or later. However, the matter is expected to be discussed further once he formally informs the board of his decision.

Also Read -Bangladesh announce ODI squad for the Sri Lanka series, Litton Das makes a return

The sudden change happened while Shanto was speaking to the media about the Sri Lanka tour. During the press conference, he spoke in detail about his goals and responsibilities as the ODI captain. But just as he was wrapping up, he was informed that Mehidy Hasan Miraz had been named the new ODI captain.

Shanto was reportedly upset that the board did not speak to him beforehand. There were concerns that this might affect his performance, but he responded in the best possible way by scoring two centuries in the first Test, ending all doubts.

Still, people close to Shanto say the decision has affected him emotionally. “I think he will not continue as Test captain after the series against Sri Lanka,” a source told the media. “I have known him for a long time, and I can say he is not happy with how things are going.”

Najmul, who was appointed Test captain for one year, is believed to have discussed the matter with close friends before deciding.

His dissatisfaction reportedly comes from the way the ODI captaincy was taken away from him without warning. Earlier, Shanto had voluntarily stepped down as T20I captain to focus on his batting, while saying he wanted to continue leading the Test and ODI teams.

🚨 Meanwhile Daily Sun dropped this ⤵️

Najmul Hossain Shanto was considering leaving the Test captaincy as well, when he was shockingly removed from ODI captaincy ⚠️

As of now, the chances of him stepping down from Test captaincy after the Sri Lanka series are high.#SLvBAN pic.twitter.com/4yqpYDWiC4

— Cricketangon (@cricketangon) June 23, 2025

However, the board's decision to remove him as ODI captain and appoint Mehidy Hasan Miraz came as a surprise, especially since it was made during an emergency Zoom meeting on June 12, instead of following the usual process of discussing such matters in formal board meetings.

Shanto was earlier given leadership in all three formats under former BCB President Nazmul Hassan Papon. But his role started to change after the new board took over. He stepped down from the T20 captaincy under Faruque Ahmed’s leadership, and now, under Aminul Islam Bulbul, he has also lost the ODI captaincy to Mehidy Hasan Miraz.

Lahore Qalandars have acquired Bangladesh all-rounder Mehidy Hasan Miraz for the commercialized part of the current Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2025, following the withdrawal of Zimbabwean superstar Sikandar Raza because of national obligation. Miraz, 27, was formally given a No Objection Certificate (NOC) by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Monday, paving the way for him to play for the Qalandars from May 22-25. It is his first appearance in an international franchise league and another new chapter in his expanding cricketing dossier.

"He signed up for the NOC this morning and got it in the afternoon," assured Shahriar Nafees, BCB's cricket operations manager. With Raza missing the rest of the tournament as Zimbabwe prepares for a historic Test series against England, Lahore Qalandars required an experienced all-round option. Miraz, who is known for his skilled off-spin as well as handy batting, was a strong contender to fill the gap.

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Mehidy Hasan Miraz added to Lahore Qalandars as playoff reinforcement for PSL 2025

Lahore, who secured a playoff position with a 26-run victory over Peshawar Zalmi on Sunday, will play the Eliminator in Lahore on May 22. Miraz is likely to add strength to their spin unit along with fellow Bangladeshi Shakib Al Hasan, who made his season debut against Zalmi. In 153 T20s, Miraz has picked 107 wickets at 7.55 economy and compiled 2,099 runs with seven half-centuries. He was also appointed ICC Men's Player of the Month for April, which reflects his current performance.

Interestingly, Miraz is not included in Bangladesh's T20I team presently playing against the UAE in Sharjah, which also made it convenient for BCB to grant the NOC. Some other Bangladeshi players, such as Litton Das, Rishad Hossain, and Nahid Rana, have also already played in this version of the PSL, though Rishad and Rana returned home prematurely because of safety issues after the tournament was suspended temporarily. Lahore Qalandars will be looking for Miraz to bring the balance they require in the dying embers, as they pursue their third straight PSL title.