A stylish left-handed batsman and a handy right-arm fast bowler, Soumya Sarkar is an asset to the Bangladesh national team and is one of the most experienced players in the current squad. 

The southpaw was an integral part of the U-19 Bangladesh squad in two World Cups in 2010 and 2012. At the 2012 Under-19 Cricket World Cup, he grabbed the headlines for mankading Australia’s Jimmy Peirson.

Sarkrar made his first-class debut playing for Khulna Division against Dhaka Division in December 2010, in the National Cricket League. His fantastic achievements at a very young age made him a crowd favourite, which motivated him to perform on bigger platforms. 

Known for his dashing playstyle, he was added to the national squad in 2013, but his chance to showcase his skills on an international level came almost a year later. Soumya made his ODI debut against Zimbabwe in December 2014, where he had a decent outing leading to Bangladesh’s victory. 

Despite being fairly new to international cricket, he was picked in the squad for the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup. Soumya holds the record for taking the most catches in a single World Cup match alongside Mohammad Kaif and Umar Akmal. After a decent outing in the World Cup, he was included in the squad against Pakistan for both limited-overs formats, where he hit his maiden ODI ton, after which Bangladesh clean-swept Pakistan 3-0.

His consistent rise at both the domestic and international levels as a handy all-rounder added an extra flavour to Bangladesh's 2019 World Cup squad.

In July 2021, he featured in the T20I series against Zimbabwe and crossed the 1,000-run mark in T20Is during the first game, becoming only the fifth Bangladeshi player to achieve this milestone. Later in the year, Soumya was included in Bangladesh’s squad for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021, held in the UAE and Oman.

In the final stretch of 2022, Sarkar made a late but notable return to international cricket, as he was drafted into Bangladesh’s squad for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022, held in Australia. Initially left out of the primary squad, Soumya was called up shortly before the start of the tournament—an indication of the team’s faith in his experience and utility in challenging conditions.

In June 2023, Sarkar took a vital step toward rebuilding his international credentials as he was named in Bangladesh’s squad for the Emerging Asia Cup.

The real turning point came in December during Bangladesh’s tour of New Zealand, where Soumya delivered the performance of his career. In the second ODI, played in Nelson, he unleashed a stunning display of controlled aggression and power-hitting, scoring a monumental 169 runs. This knock not only became the highest individual score by a Bangladeshi batter in ODIs away from home, but also set the record for the highest ODI score by an Asian player in New Zealand. 

(As of April 2025)