Bangladesh Cricket Board has announced a 15-member squad for the 2020 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in Australia. The unit will be led by veteran Salma Khatun and sees the return of experienced all-rounder Rumana Ahmed after a brief injury sabbatical.
Bangladesh is placed in Group A with India, Australia, New Zealand, and Sri Lanka, and will begin their campaign on 24 February against India.
Squad: Salma Khatun (c), Rumana Ahmed (VC), Jahanara Alam, Shamima Sultana, Murshida Khatun, Ayesha Rahman, Nigar Sultana, Sanjida Islam, Khadija-Tul-Kubra, Panna Ghosh, Fargana Haque, Nahida Akhter, Fahima Khatun, Ritu Moni, and Sobhana Mostary
Salma Khatun
Veteran Salma Khatun will captain the Bangladesh team in this mega event. A bowling all-rounder, she has played 70 T20I’s in national colors, picking up 60 wickets with an impressive economy of 4.74. Also, she provides decent contributions with the bat lower down the order.
Rumana Ahmed
Rumana is making a return to the squad after an injury break. An experienced campaigner, the all-rounder has picked up 55 wickets in this format along with vital batting performance in the middle, amassing 718 runs in 61 T20s. She will be playing deputy to Salma Khatun as she has been conferred the vice-captain role for the tournament.
Jahanara Alam
A fast bowler who is considered a twenty over specialist, Jahanara Alam has featured in 68 T20s for her side. Raw pace coupled with an invaluable skill of swinging the ball makes her a dangerous bowling option. She also has the experience of playing in the Kia Super League to her credit, where she turned up for team Velocity last year.
Nigar Sultana
The 22-year-old wicket-keeper batter boasts of 744 runs and a century in just 48 T20I’s. Nigar is one of the best batters in this Bangladesh side and will play a vital role in their campaign in the World cup.
Sanjida Islam
Top-order batter Sanjida Islam has featured in 51 T20 internationals for her country. A dependable batter, her highest score in the T20 format stands at 71 not out. She was the leading run-scorer for Bangladesh in the 2019 WT20 Qualifiers in Scotland.
Shamima Sultan
The wicketkeeper batter is an experienced campaigner having played 35 T20 internationals. The 31-year-old debuted in 2018 and had the honor of being listed among the five breakout stars in women’s cricket by ICC the very same year.
Murshida Khatun
The 20-year-old left-handed batswoman debuted in 2018 and has since featured in 6 T20s and 5 ODI s for her country.
Ayesha Rahman
The 26-year-old opening batter has represented Bangladesh in 51 T20s. Riding on consistent performances in the international circuit, she was named as the rising star of the Bangladesh squad by ICC in 2018.
Fahima Khatun
The leg spinner has picked 30 wickets in 55 T20I’s and remains a vital cog in the Bangladeshi bowling unit.
Khadija-Tul-Kubra
The off-spinner has played 48 T20s in national colors. Her performances have been quite impressive picking up 43 wickets at an economy of 5.15.
Panna Ghosh
The 30-year-old experienced all-rounder has represented Bangladesh in 37 T20s picking up 31 wickets with an economy of 5.22. She also featured in the previous edition of the World T20 in the Carribean.
Fargana Haque
Top-order batter Fargana has played 64 games in the T20 format, registering 949 runs and a hundred. A very experienced player, she will form the backbone of the Bangladesh batting unit.
Nahida Akhter
The 19-year-old left-arm spinner, Nahida Akhter debuted in 2015 and has since then featured in 38 T20 games. Picking up 49 wickets with an economy of 4.77, the teenager remains a premier bowling option for her side.
Ritu Moni
All-rounder Moni debuted in 2012. She was also a part of the previous edition of the World T20 in the West Indies. The medium-pacer has played 28 T20s for her side till now.
Sobhana Mostary
The 17-year-old made her T20 debut last year against the Netherlands. She just has 3 international appearances in her kitty till now and will be looking to gain valuable experience in the World Cup.
2020 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup – Bangladesh
Warm-ups
February 16: Bangladesh v Thailand
February 20: Bangladesh v Pakistan
Tournament
February 24: Bangladesh v India
February 27: Bangladesh v Australia
February 29: Bangladesh v New Zealand
March 2: Bangladesh v SriLanka
March 5: Semi-final 1, SCG
March 5: Semi-final 2, SCG
March 8: Final, MCG
