BPL performers get T20I call-up

"We consider those who perform well and we try to provide a platform for them. There won't be an exception this time," national selector Habibul Bashar told The Daily Star last month.

He and the selection panel stayed true to those words as five players who were able to put out a few solid performances in the recently concluded Bangladesh Premier League were included in the T20 squad to face England later this month.

Rony Talukdar and Shamim Hossain were the returnees, while Towhid Hridoy, Rejaur Rahman Raja, and Tanvir Islam received their maiden T20I call-up.

Having played only one T20I for the Tigers in 2015, Rony made a return to the national side following a seven-year gap, while Shamim was picked for the first time since November 2021.

Batter Towhid Hridoy's stellar run in the BPL had already earned him a call-up to the ODI squad for the ongoing series against England and the selectors have also bestowed their faith upon him for the T20Is.

Left-arm spinner Tanvir Islam's performances in T20s haven't gone unnoticed. The 26-year-old helped BPL side Comilla Victorians win back-to-back titles in 2022 and 2023 and will be an interesting addition to the side which also has named Nasum Ahmed.

Rejaur Rahman Raja has already experienced a call-up to the national side as he was named in the Test squad that faced Pakistan at home in November 2021. But an impressive campaign for BPL finalists Sylhet Strikers has caught the eye of the selectors who decided to rope him in.

SQUAD

Shakib Al Hasan (Captain), Liton Das, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Afif Hossain, Mehidi Hasan Miraz, Mustafizur Rahman, Taskin Ahmed, Hasan Mahmud, Nasum Ahmed, Nurul Hasan Sohan, Shamim Hossain, Rony Talukdar, Towhid Hridoy, Rejaur Rahman Raja, Tanvir Islam