Bangladesh's 2025 Champions Trophy squad: Decoding strengths and weaknesses
What's the story
The Bangladesh cricket team has announced its squad for the upcoming 2025 Champions Trophy.
The selection has stirred controversy as it has excluded key players like Litton Das and Shakib Al Hasan.
Chief selector Gazi Ashraf Hossain defended Das's omission citing his poor form and inability to capitalize during powerplays.
Meanwhile, Shakib was omitted after a failed assessment of his bowling action, possibly ending his ODI career.
Here we analyse their squad.
Performance review
Bangladesh's recent ODI performance and key players
Bangladesh's ODI show since the 2023 World Cup hasn't been the most impressive, having won just four out of 12 matches.
Soumya Sarkar has been a standout performer with the bat.
The bowling attack is spearheaded by Taskin Ahmed, who leads a rejuvenated pace unit with young guns like Nahid Rana and Tanzim Hasan alongside established names like Mustafizur Rahman.
Team challenges
Concerns over spin department and top order
The absence of Shakib has raised concerns over Bangladesh's spin department.
Mehidy Hasan Miraz's form has drastically declined, while Rishad Hossain is untested at this level.
The top order also faces challenges with Tanzid Hasan and Soumya Sarkar struggling for consistency.
However, skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto has proved to be a reliable option at No. 3 in the batting lineup.
Batting issues
Middle order and batting lineup concerns
The middle order of Bangladesh's Champions Trophy squad also features the return of Mushfiqur Rahim and Towhid Hridoy, but their recent forms have been hit-or-miss.
Mahmudullah's performances offer some hope, but the batting line-up's ability to tackle short-pitched bowling continues to be a major concern.
Despite these issues, Bangladesh has a solid pace attack and experienced middle order for the upcoming tournament.
Information
Bangladesh's squad for the tournament
Bangladesh squad for Champions Trophy 2025: Najmul Hossain Shanto(c), Soumya Sarkar, Tanzid Hasan, Tawhid Hridoy, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah, Jaker Ali, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Rishad Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Parvez Hossain Emon, Nasim Ahmed, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Nahid Rana.