Nurul Hasan Sohan will not be part of Bangladesh’s ODI squad for the upcoming tour of Sri Lanka, a decision that surprised many given his consistent form. His omission indirectly benefits the Rangpur Riders, who now retain their captain for the Global T20 tournament beginning July 10.
Sohan acknowledged the decision without resentment, choosing instead to focus on performance.
“Of course, I want to represent the national team. But what matters to me most is how I perform. Selection isn’t something I control,” he told reporters.
Rangpur management had anticipated the possibility of losing Sohan to national duties and had prepared accordingly.
“We didn’t make any special requests,” said a team official. “Our planning included potential replacements. For example, we had Ankon in the squad, assuming Sohan might be called up.”
Rumors of Shakib Al Hasan rejoining the Rangpur setup had been making the rounds, especially following his stint with the Lahore Qalandars in the PSL. Despite the speculation, the veteran all-rounder hasn’t made his way back into the Rangpur squad—at least not yet.
“It’s not that we didn’t want him. But given the country’s situation and other circumstances, we couldn’t bring him in this time,” said a senior figure in team management. “Shakib bhai can be in any starting eleven. But we had to assess the present conditions and make a decision accordingly.”
The team will also be without head coach Mickey Arthur. With the English county season underway, Arthur remains committed to his duties with Derbyshire.
Instead, Rangpur will travel with Greg Smith, someone Arthur trusts to guide the squad in his absence. Former national player Mohammad Ashraful will also join the coaching staff.
Rangpur Riders are well aware they’re the team everyone’s chasing this year. But even as they step in as reigning champions, they haven’t lost sight of the players, moments, and effort that got them here. The management made that clear, saying, “Ashraful bhai played a big role in our success in last year’s GCL.”
“We’re going as champions. But we know it’ll be tough,” Sohan said. “We’ll face challenges, no doubt. But we’ll do everything we can to manage them.”
Traveling in three phases, the team will begin its West Indies tour on July 10. With title pressure in the background, the Riders are concentrating on adjusting to a fresh structure and keeping their mindset steady.
