PAK vs BAN Preview- 1st T20I, Bangladesh Tour Of Pakistan 2025

After the end of the recent Pakistan Super League (PSL), Pakistan shifts its focus to hosting a three-match T20I series against Bangladesh, starting on May 28 at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. They hope to better prepare for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026 in India and Sri Lanka.

For the Pak vs Ban series, the home selection committee has already announced their squad under the leadership of Salman Ali Agha. The biggest surprise of the group is the absence of both veteran opening batters- Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan.

Babar’s last game of the shortest format came in December 2024 against South Africa. The 30-year-old, who has cracked 4223 runs in 121 T20I innings at a strike rate of just under 130 with three centuries and 36 half-centuries at the best score of 122 runs, is under scrutiny for his T20I position.

It’s the same case with the wicket-keeper batter, Mohammad Rizwan. The right-handed batter, who isn’t part of the Pak vs Ban series, has notched up 3414 T20I runs in 93 innings at a strike rate of 125, shouldering one century and 30 half-centuries.

Shaheen Afridi, the PSL 2025 winning captain for the Lahore Qalandars, has got a break while the selectors keep faith in Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf. Fakhar Zaman will be the aggressive and veteran opening batter of the core.

For the Bangladesh side, it’s another opportunity to develop their skills in the shortest format. They are coming into the series after the away series defeat against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) last week. Under Litton Das, the visitors may look to be aggressive with the bat.

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Mustafizur Rahman, who missed the last two T20Is against UAE for making a short presence in the IPL 2025 for the Delhi Capitals, will be back for national duty. Rishad Hossain will look to use his experience of the PSL in the PAK vs BAN series. Tanzim Hasan Sakib is another fast bowler of the side, along with Nahid Rana, who has the pace to trouble any batter.

Soumya Sarkar, who hasn’t cemented his spot in the national side, has got another bite. The southpaw has collected 1462 runs in 86 innings at a T20I average of below 18 and a strike rate of 122.14, thanks to just five fifties. It will begin a new generation for Bangladesh, and this series will be a great preparation for the upcoming World Cup.

PAK vs BAN Playing XIs

Pakistan

Fakhar Zaman, Saim Ayub, Mohammad Harris (wk), Hasan Nawaz, Salman Ali Agha (c), Faheem Ashraf, Shadab Khan, Hasan Ali, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah, Mohammad Wasim.

Bangladesh

Parvez Hossain Emon, Tanzid Hasan, Litton Das (c), Mehedi Hasan/Soumya Sarkar, Towhid Hridoy, Jaker Ali (wk), Shamim Hossain, Rishad Hossain, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Nahid Rana, Mustafizur Rahman.

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PAK vs BAN Key Battles

• Fakhar Zaman hasn’t been able to nail Mustafizur Rahman around the ground. The left-handed batter has collected only eight T20I runs against the pacer in 10 balls at a strike rate of 80. But the pacer hasn’t dismissed the batter in this format.
• Litton Das has found it hard to face Naseem Shah. The Bangladesh captain has notched up only 13 T20I runs in 11 balls against the Pakistan pacer before getting dismissed, going into the PAK vs BAN series.
• Shadab Khan has smashed Mustafizur for an undefeated 12 T20I runs in just five deliveries, before the Pak vs Ban series, at a strike rate of 240, thanks to one boundary and one six.