Shakib included, Shanto to lead as Bangladesh announce 15-player squad for T20 World Cup

Dhaka [Bangladesh], May 14 (ANI): Najmul Hossain Shanto has been named as the skipper as Bangladesh on Tuesday announced their 15-player squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024. The marquee event will begin on June 1 in the USA and the West Indies.
Bangladesh exercised dominance over Zimbabwe and clinched the T20I series with a 4-1 win. After the conclusion of the series on Sunday, Bangladesh announced their squad.
The 15-player squad boasts experience with the presence of Shakib Al Hasan. The experienced all-rounder returned to the T20I format in Bangladesh colours after nearly a year in the 4th T20I against Zimbabwe.
With his crafty spell, he picked a four-wicket haul in the 4th T20I which played a crucial role in Bangladesh's 5-run win.
Zimbabwe showed a fight throughout the series and managed to pull off an upset in the 5th T20I.
Tanzid Hasan and Towhid Hridoy stood out in the series with their performances with the bat. Tanzid was the leading scorer of the series with 160 runs in five matches at an average of 40.00.
Towhid was the second-highest run-scorer with 140 runs under his belt in five matches. In the bowling department, Taskin Ahmed and Mohammad Saifuddin were the leading wicket-takers in the series with 8 wickets each to their name.
Despite his exceptional set of performances, Saifuddin couldn't find a place in the 15-player squad.
The rest of the squad majorly consists of players who featured in their five-match series. Young speedster Tanzim Hasan Sakib earned a spot after making two appearances against Zimbabwe.
Bangladesh also included left-arm quick Shoriful Islam in the squad for the marquee event. The 22-year-old was rested for the final two matches with Zimbabwe.
All-rounder Afif Hossain Dhrubo and right-arm pacer Hasan Mahmud have been named as two reserves.
Litton Das managed to seal his ticket to the USA and the West Indies despite struggling to muster up runs with the bat.
Bangladesh are placed in Group D alongside South Africa, Sri Lanka, Netherlands and Nepal for next month's event. They will kick off their campaign against Sri Lanka in Dallas on June 7.
Bangladesh squad: Najmul Hossain Shanto (c), Taskin Ahmed, Litton Das, Soumya Sarkar, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Shakib Al Hasan, Tawhid Hridoy, Mahmudullah Riyad, Jaker Ali Anik, Tanvir Islam, Shak Mahedi Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman, Shoriful Islam, Tanzim Hasan Sakib.
Travelling reserves: Afif Hossain, Hasan Mahmud. (ANI)