Bangladesh Captain Responds To Shakib Al Hasan’s Absence In Champions Trophy 2025

It’s not a regularity for Bangladesh cricket to play ICC events in the absence of their premier all-rounder, Shakib Al Hasan, who will miss the ongoing Champions Trophy 2025. His absence could be huge on their performance in the eight-team tournament.

The Najmul Hossain Shanto-led hasn’t played a 50-over series of late as the last one for them came in the Caribbean last year, before which they faced Afghanistan on the slow and low surfaces of Sharjah. That will help their side to gel with the conditions quickly.

Bangladesh to play an ICC event without Shakib Al Hasan after 21 years

Shakib marked his debut in international cricket in 2006 and still then has always been the premier all-rounder for Bangladesh in an ICC event. Their poster boy has cracked 7570 runs in 234 ODI innings at an average of 37.29 and a strike rate of more than 82, shouldering on 56 half-centuries and nine centuries at the best score of unbeaten 134 runs.

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With the ball, the left-arm spinner has picked up 317 wickets in 241 innings at an average of nearly 30 and an economy rate of 4.46, thanks to four five-wicket and ten four-wicket hauls. His last 50-over game for the Tigers came against Sri Lanka at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. Delhi during the 2023 ODI World Cup.

During last year’s Test series, Shakib revealed that he hoped to play his farewell red-ball clash against South Africa in Mirpur, but he couldn’t enter the country due to the political turmoil. The former captain of the side didn’t participate in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).

In addition, the spinner received reports for the suspect bowling action when he went to England for one-off county games, for Surrey against Somerset.

On the eve of Bangladesh’s opening game of the Champions Trophy against India, one of the reporters asked Shanto whether Shakib’s absence would have a huge effect on them in the campaign. Shanto straightway came up with a one-word response of “No.”

Najmul Hossain Shanto is confident of putting up a fight against India

Shanto, who has overall 1488 runs in 46 ODIs at an average of 34.60 and a strike rate of nearly 80, last year, cracked 286 runs at an average of 71.50 in just four innings. He is superbly confident of breaking India’s spin obstacle in the opening encounter.

“I think we have to play well in all departments - batting, bowling, fielding - because I think the way we played the last few years in this format, I think we have a good side and, as you mentioned, the conditions are quite similar. I'm confident that we will prepare ourselves well. I hope for the best for tomorrow's match.” Shanto added during the pre-match press conference.

He also bets on his quality fast bowlers, including Nahid Rana and Taskin Ahmed, to put pressure on India’s top order with the new ball.

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“I think we always struggle with our seam attack, but, in the last couple of years, we have got some quality fast bowlers. We have some fast bowlers, but now we have got Nahid Rana and Taskin the way they are bowling. As a captain, we love to see bowling fast and bowling for the team.” Shanton addressed.

Bangladesh faced defeat against India in the 2017 Champions Trophy semifinal

The only meeting between these two sides came in the semifinal of the 2017 Champions Trophy at the Edgbaston in Birmingham. Half-centuries from Mushfiqur Rahim and Tamim Iqbal put 264 runs for Bangladesh in their allotted 50 overs.

A cracking 123-run unbeaten knock from Rohit Sharma and 96* runs from captain Virat Kohli carried the blue brigade over the line with nine wickets in hand and nearly 10 overs to spare.