DHAKA, July 4, 2025 (BSS)—The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) selection panel recalled Naim Sheikh and Mohammad Saifuddin as they announced a 16-member squad for the three-match T20 International series against Sri Lanka.

Naim who once dubbed as the future star of Bangladesh T20 cricket, following his groundbreaking 48 ball-81 against India in 2019, last played a game in this format in 2022.

After being dropped from the squad, he has been in supreme touch in domestic cricket in all format of the cricket for the last three years. The selectors had recently advised him to expand his shot range and increase the strike rate in a bid to make a comeback, a task that he did properly. 

He also made a comeback to the ODI squad with the Sri Lanka series although he was not in the playing XI in first ODI against Sri Lanka.

While Naim made a comeback to the squad after three years, Saifuddin had to wait for one year for another call-up.  He last played a T20 match against Zimbabwe in May, 2024.

Fast bowler Taskin Ahmed and medium pacer Mustafizur Rahman also returned to the squad after recovering from the injury. They missed the side’s last T20 series against Pakistan.

Najmul Hossain Shanto was axed from the squad following his bad patch in this format in which he has been without any fifty in the last 19 matches. Along with him, axe has fallen on Soumya Sarkar, Tanvir Islam and Hasan Mahmud.

Bangladesh had already played two series in 2025 and lost both of them. After suffering a 2-1 defeat to UAE, which sparked a huge uproar in the country, they suffered 3-0 whitewash at the hands of Pakistan.

Bangladesh last won a T20 series in West Indies when they swept the hosts in a three-match series in December, 2024.

However, after the ODI series, Bangladesh will take on Sri Lanka in this format with the first match scheduled at Kandy on July 10. Dambulla will host the second game on July 13 before they play the tour-ending third T20 on July 16 in Colombo.

Squad: Liton Das (Captain), Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Parvez Hossain Emon, Naim Sheikh, Towhid Hridoy, Jaker Ali Anik, Shamim Patwari, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Rishad Hossain,  Mahedi Hasan, Nasum Ahmed, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Shoriful Islam, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Saifuddin.