Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto said the mix of youth and experience was important to the team and, in particular, he hoped Mahmudullah Riyad and Shakib Al Hasan’s experience would guide them during the difficult stages of the upcoming T20 World Cup.

Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto urged fans and senior players of the team support them during their tough times in the T20 World Cup.

More than a year into his contract, Hathurusingha got to see both sides of the coin. In 2023, Bangladesh whitewashed defending champions England, and Afghanistan won a series against Ireland at home and claimed their maiden T20I win over New Zealand in the BlackCaps’ backyard. But less than a year since enjoying their best ever run in the shortest format, the Tigers spiralled down to their lowest point, displaying a severe lack of continuity.

Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan became the first player to take 700 wickets and score 14,000 runs in international cricket in the third and final T20I of the three-match series against the USA at the Grand Prairie Stadium in Houston on Saturday.

Could the Tigers spiral down further? The omens would suggest a very bleak answer for fans of a cricket-crazy nation.

"We have been unable to play good cricket," said Shakib

Rohit Sharma and Shakib Al Hasan were the flag-bearers of the next generation of cricketers when they made their respective debuts in the T20 World Cup in its first iteration in 2007. Both of them had memorable starts in the tournament, giving an early glimpse of their unmistakable talent in South Africa.

Bangladesh ace all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan is going into the upcoming T20 World Cup as Tigers’ key player in what could be his final bow in T20’s showpiece event.

Bangladesh star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan signed for LA Knight Riders for the upcoming season of the Major League Cricket (MLC) in the USA, starting on July 5.

Bangladesh are going into the upcoming T20 World Cup with quite a few young guns in the squad, led by a young skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto. But it is two of their veterans -- Mahmudullah Riyad and Shakib Al Hasan -- who could give the side a lift with their experience in the USA and the West Indies.

“In T20 Cricket, yes, batting order will be changing. That's just normal cricket," said the Bangladesh head coach.

Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto hoped that the younger players perform well to honour two veterans – Shakib Al Hasan and Mahmudullah Riyad, in the upcoming T20 World Cup in the USA and the West Indies.

The race to be the No.1 ranked all-rounder at the start of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup has further intensified as two players share top billing following the latest update to the ICC Men's T20 Player Rankings.

Bangladesh’s Shakib Al Hasan is hot on Rohit’s heels, as the all-rounder has played 36 matches in eight T20 World Cup appearances.

Shakib is currently sitting on 47 wickets in 36 matches in T20 World Cups and is the only active cricketer among the top five wicket-taker’s list in the competition.

India have already named their World Cup squad with Rohit as their skipper. The Tigers, however, are yet to announce their 15-member squad but Shakib is expected to walk into the side if he remains fit.

The Tigers are yet to announce their 15-member squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup, and should Shakib be selected, he would join Rohit as the only players to have competed in every T20 World Cup, sharing that honour.

Bangladesh pacer Taskin Ahmed said his side does not get enough credit for winning matches when they beat ‘’small’’ sides. 

After Bangladesh took an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match Twenty20 International series against Zimbabwe, opener Parvez Hossain Emon and batter Afif Hossain were eventually left out of the Tigers’ squad for the last two T20Is, to be played in Dhaka, without having played a game.

Shakib Al Hasan, Soumya Sarkar and Mustafizur Rahman were called up for the last two Twenty20 Internationals against Zimbabwe, which will be played in Mirpur on May 10 and 12.