On September 2, 2026, the Bangladesh selection board announced a 15-man T20I team for the Asian Games 2026, including Hasan Mahmud and Najmul Hossain Shanto, who had been out of the shortest format for a long time. After missing the Zimbabwe and Australia series due to a hamstring injury, Litton Das has returned to the T20I captaincy.
The two most conspicuous absences from the touring party are Nurul Hasan and Abdul Gaffar Saqlain. Nahid Rana, a pace bowler, is also sidelined; however, his absence is due to an ongoing side strain. Bangladesh advances directly to the quarterfinals of the competition, where they will play the winner of Group B on September 28, 2026. Korogi Sports Park will host every game during the Asian Games.
The team is composed of both players who have shown promise in recent red-ball cricket and seasoned T20I performances. Bangladesh’s goal is to surpass the bronze they won at the Asian Games in 2023.
Why did Mahmud and Shanto deserve to be recalled?
More than a year had passed since Shanto’s last Twenty20 International match against the United Arab Emirates in May 2025. During that time, he gave up the T20I captaincy to Litton and went 19 straight T20I innings without scoring a half-century. A solid run of form across forms seems to have changed the selectors’ perspective.
With a half-century in Darwin during the series, Shanto led Bangladesh to a historic first Test victory on Australian soil. He scored 355 runs in the Bangladesh Premier League, including one century and one fifty, demonstrating his reliability at the top of the order.
Similar arguments underpin Mahmud’s case. During the Pakistan tour in 2025, he made his most recent Twenty20 International appearance. Despite taking three wickets in three games at an economy rate of 11.30, his performance did nothing to guarantee his spot.
His longer-form performances, though, have been impressive. He took 10 wickets at an average of 24.67 in the BPL and was named Player of the Match in Bangladesh’s Test victory in Australia. He seems to have returned to T20I contention thanks to his contributions in both competitions.
Bangladesh’s 2026 Asian Games team
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.
