Bangladesh ODI Squad For Sri Lanka Announced, Tamim Iqbal Brings Back Legend After 7 Years

Tamim Iqbal's BCB announce Bangladesh squad [Source: AFP]

In the first assignment since taking over as the President of the Bangladesh Cricket Board, the former left-hand opener Tamim Iqbal and co. have announced the squad for the Sri Lanka ODI series.

The Bangladesh Women’s team is set to return to international action for the first time in almost three months, starting April 20, with three ODIs and three T20Is to be played against the Asian opposition. Among the notable inclusions in the 15-woman squad for the ODI series is Sharmin Sultana, who is set to make a comeback after a seven-year gap.

With only the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 in England on the horizon, this series will serve as a preparatory event for Bangladesh as they look to improve their record of 3 wins in 25 matches in the competition.

BCB announce Sharmin Sultana’s long-awaited international return

Having crashed out of the Women’s World Cup in India in September and October 2025, finishing with 1 win in 7 matches, the Nigar Sultana Joty-led outfit will play their first ODI on April 20. Their last international assignment was during the T20 World Cup qualifiers, where they led the team to the main event in June.

As they announced the squad, two of the most notable inclusions came in the potential debutants, Juairiya Ferdous and Sharmin Sultana, who last played for the national team in November 2019.

Previously, the right-hand bat Sultana has featured in 13 WODIs for Bangladesh; however, the returns have been negligible, with only 115 runs at an average of 8.84. Her recent domestic form and 76 runs in 4 innings of the Women’s Emerging Asia Cup caught attention, leading to a call-up for the team.

On the other hand, Ferdous has played 7 WT20Is so far, scoring 123 runs with a fifty to her name. She could be handed her debut against the Lankans, but with captain Joty being the designated wicketkeeper, it is unlikely that Ferdous gets the role behind the stumps.

Also Read: Bangladesh Cricket Board Official Issues Statement On Shakib Al Hasan's Comeback

Bangladesh ODI squad for Sri Lanka series:

Nigar Sultana Joty (C), Nahida Akter (VC), Farzana Haque, Sobhana Mostary, Fahima Khatun, Sharmin Akter Supta, Ritu Moni, Shorna Akter, Rabeya Khan, Sharmin Sultana, Marufa Akter, Fariha Islam Trisna, Sultana Khatun, Shanjida Akther Maghla, Juairiya Ferdous.

BCB looks to bounce back from WBPL setback

Earlier this year, the BCB announced its first-ever Women’s Bangladesh Premier League season, to be played in early March 2026. Additionally, they had invited players from across the globe, including India, amid tense relations, to participate and get themselves in the groove for the upcoming world event.

However, following the announcement, the BCB struggled to find investors to sponsor the event, and the WBPL 2026 had to be pushed forward to the next possible window after the T20 World Cup.

Sri Lanka Women’s Tour of Bangladesh 2026 full schedule

In their first international action since February 1, the Sri Lanka Series will begin on April 20 at the Rajashahi Divisional Stadium, where all three WODIs will be hosted.

Following the WODIs, all three WT20Is will be played in Sylhet from April 28 to May 3. This is the first time that Sri Lanka is facing Bangladesh in a bilateral series away from home. Their last and only bilateral series was played in Sri Lanka in 2023, where the Lankans won both WODIs and WT20Is.