Nigar Sultana has stepped down as Bangladesh’s T20I captain, informing the Bangladesh Cricket Board in a letter from Japan on Tuesday, September 15. The news was made during the team’s Asian Games campaign, two days before Bangladesh’s first match against China on September 17. Sultana’s decision to step down as T20I captain was motivated by a desire to focus on her batting and wicketkeeping while still leading the ODI squad.
Rafiqul Islam Babu, chairperson of the BCB women’s wing, commented on the development on Wednesday, September 16. The board received Sultana’s email and intends to review the situation and determine the next steps after the squad returns from the Asian Games.
Nigar Sultana Captaincy Record and Recent Form
Nigar Sultana took over as Bangladesh’s T20I captain in 2022 and captained the team in 80 matches. Her record as captain was 32 wins and 47 losses, with one match ending without a result, for a win percentage of 40.50%. The team’s performance under her leadership has been inconsistent in recent months, with fortunes shifting throughout formats and events.
During Nigar Sultana captaincy, Bangladesh defeated Scotland in the 2024 T20 World Cup, giving the country its first World Cup triumph in a decade. Nigar Sultana scored 104 runs in four innings and was responsible for seven wickets behind the stumps throughout the event. Bangladesh won the World Cup qualifying in 2026 without losing a game, but later results were erratic.
The team lost 3-0 at home to Sri Lanka in April-May 2026, followed by mixed results in the Scotland-Netherlands tri-series and two triumphs in five World Cup matches. In the shortest amount of time, these results called Sultana’s leadership into question. As of September 15, 2026, no successor had been appointed, and the BCB had not publicly stated a schedule for selecting a new T20I captain.
