Bangladesh Bring Back Shanto and Hasan Mahmud for Asian Games
On September 2, 2026, the Bangladesh selection board named a 15-member T20I squad for the Asian Games 2026, reintroducing Najmul Hossain Shanto and Hasan Mahmud to the shortest format after long absences.
Litton Das returns to T20I captaincy after missing the Zimbabwe and Australia series while recovering from a hamstring ailment.
Nurul Hasan and Abdul Gaffar Saqlain are conspicuous omissions, as they were both excluded from the touring party. Nahid Rana, a pace bowler, is also absent due to an injury, as he is still dealing with a side strain.
Bangladesh enters the competition with a direct path to the quarterfinals, where they will face the Group B winner on September 28, 2026. All Asian Games matches will take place at Korogi Sports Park.
The roster is made up of experienced T20I players as well as those who have recently impressed in red-ball cricket. Bangladesh will be looking to improve on its bronze medal performance at the 2023 Asian Games.
Why have Shanto and Mahmud been recalled?
Shanto’s previous T20I appearance was against the UAE in May 2025, therefore more than a year went before this selection. That stretch includes 19 consecutive T20I innings without a half-century, and he also handed over the T20I captaincy to Litton.
What appears to have changed the selectors’ minds is a solid run of form across formats. Shanto led Bangladesh to their historic maiden Test victory on Australian soil, scoring a half-century in Darwin during the series.
In the Bangladesh Premier League, he scored 355 runs, including one fifty and a century, demonstrating his dependability at the top of the order.
Mahmud’s case is based on similar grounds. His most recent T20I appearance occurred during the Pakistan tour in 2025, when he took three wickets in three matches at an economy rate of 11.30, which did nothing to secure his place.
However, his achievements in longer formats have been impressive. He was named Player of the Match in Bangladesh’s Test victory against Australia, and he took 10 wickets in the BPL with an average of 24.67.
These contributions in both competitions look to have been sufficient to reintroduce him into T20I contention.
Bangladesh squad for the Asian Games 2026
Litton Das (capt), Tanzid Hasan, Parvez Hossain Emon, Saif Hasan, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Tawhid Hridoy, Mosaddek Hossain, Yasir Ali, Rishad Hossain, Mahedi Hasan, Nasum Ahmed, Mohammad Saifuddin, Shoriful Islam, Mustafizur Rahman, Hasan Mahmud.
