Bangladesh’s Women’s T20 World Cup squad for 2024 has undergone significant changes, with five players dropped and five new faces added. The most notable omission is experienced allrounder Rumana Ahmed, who has been replaced by uncapped top-order batter Taj Nehar.
The recall of Sobhana Mostary, Shathi Rani, Fahima Khatun, and Disha Biswas adds experience and depth to the squad. Fahima, a veteran legspinner, has played in five T20 World Cups, while Rani, an opening batter, was the leading run-scorer in the recent Women’s National Cricket League (NCL) T20 competition.
Rumana’s exclusion is attributed to her lack of aggressive batting in recent matches. Chief selector Sajjad Ahmed explained that the team needs batters who can score quickly in the T20 format.
Mostary’s selection, despite her recent struggles, is due to the lack of options at the No. 3 position. “She is a prospect, but she hasn’t performed up to the mark,” said Sajjad. “We don’t have a lot of options at No. 3.”
The other players dropped from the squad are Rubya Haider, Shorifa Khatun, Sabikun Nahar, and Ishma Tanjim.
Bangladesh’s T20 World Cup campaign begins on October 3 against Scotland. The team will be hoping to improve on their performance in the 2023 edition, where they failed to progress beyond the group stage.
