Bangladesh Predicted Playing XI vs New Zealand- 1st T20I, NZ tour of BAN 2026

Bangladesh Strongest XI vs NZ, 1st T20I [Source: AFP]

The Bangladesh cricket team is all set to host New Zealand for the three-match T20I series, with the first match set to take place at the Bir Shreshtha Flight Lieutenant Matiur Rahman Cricket Stadium in Chattogram. The match is scheduled fBangladesh Reject Mustafizur Rahman's PSL 2026 Returnor April 27 and will be live for fans from 1:30 PM IST.

Bangladesh have been a solid challenger in the face of New Zealand with their recent ODI series win on their home soil. With Litton Das captaining the side, the Bengal Tigers will have a renewed energy in their T20I squad, which misses certain names, however, it still poses some solid threat for the visitors.

With both New Zealand and Bangladesh eager to start the series on a solid note, the Bangladesh cricket team needs to chalk out the best possible playing eleven they can field to give a tough fight to the visitors.

As the teams collide against each other, here’s a look at Bangladesh Playing XI vs New Zealand for 1st T20I.

Bangladesh Playing XI vs New Zealand, 1st T20I

Top Order: Tanzid Hasan, Saif Hassan, Litton Das (c & wk), Nurul Hasan

The top order of Bangladesh will consist of experienced names like Tanzid Hasan, Saif Hassan, Litton Das, and Nurul Hasan. Tanzid and Saif will be opening for the team, with both of these batters having decent recent form for their side, with Tanzid averaging 26.33 in the ODI series against New Zealand.

Saif Hassan played a valiant knock of 76-ball 57 against the Kiwis in the first ODI. The opening duo will be responsible for laying a strong foundation for the Bengal Tigers, while Litton Das, the skipper, will be coming in at number three to accelerate the middle overs.

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At number three, Litton has experience of playing 42 T20Is, from where he has garnered 969 runs at an average of 24.23. His recent attacking approach will also be beneficial as he acts as a cushion for the top and middle order, with Nurul Hasan coming in to fill the number four spot.

Although Nurul's expertise has been at the lower to middle-order positions at number six or number seven, Towhid Hridoy should be coming in at number five to better absorb any early shock at the top. In 2025, Nurul Hasan's performance has been decent, where he has played 9 T20I games while scoring 125 runs at an average of 31.25 and a strike rate of 123.76.

Middle Order and All Rounders: Towhid Hridoy, Nasum Ahmed, Rishad Hossain, Shamim Hossain

Towhid Hridoy is a pretty flexible batter and has one of the highest strike rates in T20I batting at the number 5 position. From the 13 matches he has played at number 5, Towhid has managed to average 38.80 at a strike rate of 135.66 while having two half-centuries in the same position.

Following Towhid, Nasum Ahmed and Rishad Hossain will be taking up the duties to spark the late middle-order hitting. Guided by Shamim Hossain, who is also a handy right-arm off-break bowler.

The trio of Nasum, Shamim, and Rishad might provide solid late-order resilience in case New Zealand bowlers manage to scatter the top order early in the game. Though Rishad's batting abilities can be doubted, Shamim is one of the veterans who has 579 runs under his belt in the format while striking at 123.71.

Bowlers: Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Ripon Mondol, Shoriful Islam

The bowling department of Bangladesh for the first T20I will be a mix of new faces and experienced veterans, with Ripon Mondol being one of the better choices amid the two new call-ups of Abdul Ghaffar Saqlain.

Alongside Mondol, Shoriful Islam will be leading the pace department, while Tanzim Hasan Sakib and Ripon will be adding to the pace battery. Meanwhile, the spin department consists of three solid options with noticeable experience on the field.

The trio of Nasum Ahmed, Shamim Hossain, and Rishad Hossain will be handling the spin strategies in the Bangladesh Playing XI vs New Zealand on a heated Chattogram pitch as the Kiwi batters take guard on April 27 in the BAN vs NZ first T20I.

Bangladesh Playing XI vs New Zealand- Tanzid Hasan, Saif Hassan, Litton Das (c & wk), Nurul Hasan, Towhid Hridoy, Nasum Ahmed, Rishad Hossain, Shamim Hossain, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Ripon Mondol, Shoriful Islam

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