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The Asian Games 2026 has already begun; however, the game of cricket for the men’s competition is yet to begin. Bangladesh has already been pre-seeded in the quarter-finals of the multi-national event due to their higher ICC rankings and will take the field on 29th September. Ahead of that, they have been hit with bad news as all-rounder Mohammed Saifuddin has been ruled out.
Bangladesh National Cricket Team has been doing well in recent times across formats. They recently won a Test against Australia in Australia for the first time in history and drew the two-match series 1-1. The Bangla Tigers also won the T20I series against Zimbabwe away from home. They lost to India in the semi-final of the last edition of the Asian Games.
Mohammed Saifuddin ruled out
As per reports from Cricbuzz, Bangladesh cricketer Mohammed Saifuddin has been ruled out of the ongoing Asian Games due to a right hamstring injury. This is a big blow for the country who has been in good form in the shortest format of the game. They will look to announce a replacement for the all-rounder.
🚨 Bangladesh all-rounder Mohammed Saifuddin has been ruled out of the ongoing Asian Games due to right hamstring injury. pic.twitter.com/JLgcWnEyJm
— Cricbuzz (@cricbuzz) September 21, 2026
He was excellent in the series against Zimbabwe, picking four wickets in three matches and also scoring 31* runs off 10 deliveries in the third T20I against the Chevrons. The lower-middle-order batter can strike the ball hard and finish games; his absence will cost Bangladesh crucial games in the semi-finals and possibly in the final, if they qualify.
"He will require approximately three weeks": Bayjedul Islam Khan on Mohammed Saifuddin's return date
The Bangladesh team physio Bayjedul Islam Khan stated that Mohammed Saifuddin had complained of pain in his right hamstring during a practice session a couple of days back. After the scans and MRI, the majority of the injury was confirmed, and the physio also stated that he would be out for more than three weeks.
"Saifuddin complained of pain in his right hamstring while bowling during the practice session on 19 September. Following a physical examination and MRI, the injury was confirmed," national team physio Bayjedul Islam Khan said in a statement. "He will require approximately three weeks of rehabilitation to recover."
Who will replace Mohammed Saifuddin?
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has already informed the Bangladesh Olympic Association (BOA) regarding Saifuddin's unavailability for the Asian Games. So the cricket board will announce the replacement once the authorisation comes from the Games authority.
Saifuddin has been an experienced campaigner for the Bangla Tigers; he has played 30 ODIs and over 50 T20I matches for the side. Combined, he has picked 99 wickets in the white-ball format for the side.
Apart from that, in batting, he has maintained a decent average of 36.20 in the 50-over format, scoring 362 runs with two fifties beside his name. The bowling all-rounder does not have the best batting time in the T20Is, as he averages below 20 in the shortest format of the game. He recently played in the A series against South Africa, featuring in one unofficial Test and two one-day matches.
