The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) confirmed on Sunday that Nahida Akter has been appointed as the new T20I captain for the women’s national team. Alongside this leadership change, Sobhana Mostary has been elevated to the role of vice-captain. This transition follows the decision of former T20I skipper Nigar Sultana to step down from the role after the Asian Games to dedicate more focus to her individual performance.
Rafiqul Islam, chairman of the BCB women’s wing, explained that the decision was finalized following consultations with the selection panel and other stakeholders. Regarding the choice of captain, Islam stated, “We sat with members of the selection panel along with others and decided to hand over the T20I captaincy to Nahida. Sobhana Mostary will be her deputy.” He further added that the board felt it was the appropriate moment for Nahida to take charge, noting that she has served as vice-captain since Sultana assumed the role in 2022. “Nahida has been the vice-captain for a pretty long time and now we feel the time is right to give her the responsibility of our T20I squad,” Rafiqul said.
While Sultana is relinquishing her duties as the T20I captain, she will continue to lead the ODI side, as she did during the recent three-match series in Australia. Despite her ongoing leadership in the 50-over format, reports indicate that her decision to exit the T20I role caught the board by surprise, stemming from internal frustrations regarding her recent treatment by the governing body. Although it is understood that the wicketkeeper-batter was disappointed with the way she had been treated by the board in recent times, the BCB was taken by surprise by Sultana’s decision.
The team is now looking ahead to the ICC Women’s Emerging Nations Trophy in Thailand. Bangladesh is set to begin their campaign on November 12 with an opening match against Pakistan.
