The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has announced a 15-member men’s squad for the Asian Games 2026 in Japan, with Litton Das returning as captain. Litton Das, who missed Bangladesh’s recent bilateral series against Zimbabwe and Australia because of a hamstring injury, is back to lead the side.
Bangladesh will enter the tournament as the defending bronze medallists after finishing third at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou. As per the schedule, the men’s cricket competition will run from September 24 to October 3, with the matches scheduled at Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin, Aichi Prefecture.
Najmul Hossain Shanto and Hasan Mahmud Return to Bangladesh Squad for Asian Games
Najmul Hossain Shanto has returned to Bangladesh’s T20I setup for the first time since playing against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in May 2025. The top-order batter had gone 19 innings without scoring a half-century in the format.
Shanto will add experience to the top order alongside Litton, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Parvez Hossain Emon, and Saif Hassan. He earned his recall after scoring 355 runs in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), including a century and a half-century.
Fast bowler Hasan Mahmud has also returned to the T20I squad. Mahmud last played a T20I during Bangladesh’s tour of Pakistan last year, taking three wickets in three matches at an economy rate of 11.30. He also took 10 wickets at an average of 24.67 in the last BPL season.
Nahid Rana Misses Out Due to Injury
Fast bowler Nahid Rana has not been included in the 15-member squad as he continues his recovery from a side strain. The 23-year-old suffered a Grade Two side strain during Bangladesh’s tour of Zimbabwe in July, which later ruled him out of the two-match Test series in Australia.
Rana has resumed bowling in the nets after a six-week layoff, but the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) does not want to rush him back into competitive cricket. He has taken 38 Test wickets, 32 ODI wickets, and eight T20I wickets in his international career.
Wicketkeeper-batter Nurul Hasan and Abdul Gaffar Saqlain have also been dropped from the Asian Games squad. In Rana’s absence, Bangladesh will rely on Mustafizur Rahman, Shoriful Islam, Mohammad Saifuddin, and Hasan Mahmud in the pace department.
Bangladesh squad for Asian Games:
Litton Das (Captain), Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Parvez Hossain Emon, Saif Hassan, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Towhid Hridoy (Vice-Captain), Mosaddek Hossain, Yasir Ali, Rishad Hossain, Mahedi Hasan, Nasum Ahmed, Mohammad Saifuddin, Shoriful Islam, Mustafizur Rahman and Hasan Mahmud
Bangladesh Schedule and Tournament Format
Bangladesh will enter the Asian Games directly in the quarterfinal stage as a Test-playing nation. India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka also have first-round byes and will join Bangladesh in the quarterfinals.
Bangladesh will begin their campaign on September 28 against the winner of Group B. Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Oman are in Group B, while Afghanistan, Japan, and Nepal will compete in Group A. The top two teams from each group will advance to the knockout stage.
Cricket will feature in the Asian Games for the fourth time in the last five editions since making its debut in Guangzhou in 2010. Bangladesh won the inaugural men’s gold medal in 2010 and finished with bronze at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou, behind gold medallists India and silver medallists Sri Lanka.
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