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ToggleAmong their five changes to select the squad for the Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 in Dubai and Sharjah, Bangladesh has dropped their all-rounder, Rumana Ahmed, from the side that featured in the recent Asia Cup 2024 in Dambulla in July. The selectors have called up the uncapped top-order batter, Taj Nehar, in the side.
The 33-year-old Rumana has collected 866 runs in 77 WT20I innings at a strike rate of around 80 with one half-century, besides earning 75 wickets at an average of 19.01 and an economy rate of 5.47, as her left-spin was expected to play a huge role in those slow surfaces.
The 31-year-old leg-spinner of the Bangladesh side, Fahima Khatun, grasped 49 wickets in 84 games at an average of 25.06 and an economy rate of 5.76, besides carrying a career strike rate of over 90 in this format of the game.
She lost her position in the team after poor performance against India and Australia at home but made a great return on the back of her six wickets in as many games in the Women’s National Cricket League (NCL) T20 competition.
Nigar Sultana to lead Bangladesh in T20 World Cup 2024
The twenty-year-old Disha Biswas, who had played the Under-19 T20 World Cup in Jan-Feb 2023, has also been picked for the upcoming T20 World Cup despite not making her debut for the national side.
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The opening batter of the Shathi Rani, whose five T20I games came last year, became the leading run-getter of the NCL with 284 runs at a strike rate of 151.06, while the middle order batter of the Bangladesh side, Shobhana Mostary, had a tough time against India and Australia before extending the struggling period in the NCL with 103 runs in five innings.
The chief selector of the side, Sajjad Ahmed, put the selection of Mostary, given she has been a bright prospect for the national team.
“She is a prospect. However, she hasn’t performed up to the mark. We don’t have a lot of options at No 3. We tried Ishma Tanjim, but she didn’t perform well, and she couldn’t do much in the NCL. That’s why we had to go to Sobhana Mostary.” Sajjad expressed during the selection.
Apart from Rumana, the four others who have been left out of the Bangladesh squad are Rubya Haider, Shorifa Khatun, Sabikun Nahar, and Ishma Tanjim. One of the surprising decisions was to omit Rumana, as Sajjad cleared the air by admitting that the selection had been made keeping in mind the aggression of the batter.
“We selected Rumana in the Asia Cup, where, unfortunately, she didn’t perform. She is a middle-order bat who isn’t batting the way that is needed in T20s.” Ahmed remarked.
During their last campaign of the 20-over tournament in 2023, Bangladesh finished in the fifth position in the group, having lost all of their four encounters at a net run rate of -1.529. Their opening fixture of this tournament will be against Scotland on October 03, which is the opening clash of the tournament.
They will later face England and West Indies in the tournament before finishing the league stage against South Africa at the Dubai International Stadium,
Bangladesh Squad For Women’s T20 World Cup 2024
Nigar Sultana (captain), Nahida Akter, Murshida Khatun, Shorna Akter, Ritu Moni, Sobhana Mostary, Rabeya Khan, Sultana Khatun, Fahima Khatun, Marufa Akter, Jahanara Alam, Dilara Akter, Taj Nehar, Shathi Rani, Disha Biswas.