- June 24, 2025
Just when you were feeling like the ODI deck for Bangladesh was stabilising after the Champions Trophy, boom, Naim Sheikh is back! Following a lengthy absence from ODI cricket, Naim Sheikh has earned a recall as a left-handed opener for Bangladesh’s upcoming series against Sri Lanka. Better yet, at least according to the selectors, this isn’t just a recall, it’s a reward for ‘reinvention’. The exits of Mushfiqur and Mahmudullah, along with a few other voids, had already stirred things up, but Naim’s return adds a spicy subplot to Bangladesh’s evolving top-order saga. But does this comeback have some legs to it, or is this just another roll of the dice?
Reinvented Naim: A Different Beast This Time?
Let’s cut to the chase—Naim Sheikh’s ODI record to date? Eight matches, 95 runs, and an average under 12 — the numbers speak for themselves. Certainly not résumé material. Yet chief selector Gazi Ashraf seems to think Naim has turned a corner, particularly in “intent and pattern.” That’s selection jargon for: he’s stopped pushing at the ball and is now playing his shots. Bangladesh already has batting aggression in Tamim and Parvez Emon, so why Naim? The answer is about matchups and mindset. Tamim brings experience, and Emon brings flair; Naim could provide the balance of calibrated aggression and newfound clarity in the role.
Squad Shake-Up: Out with the Old, in with the Hungry
It isn’t just about Naim—this team is all about transition. Litton Das, Shamim Hossain, and Tanvir Islam return, while Soumya Sarkar and Nasum Ahmed take their leave, while Mushfiqur and Mahmudullah leave gaping holes in the middle order. It is like a hard reset. This team has been very clearly handed over to the next core group with Mehidy Hasan Miraz as the captain. And of course, with the returns of Taskin Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman from injury, it has the feel of youthful recklessness mixed with errant experience. In a three-match series where conditions will challenge all areas, Bangladesh is clearly in experimental mode, and Naim is part of that experiment.
More Than Just Three Games
Let’s be realistic–this series against Sri Lanka is more than just another bilateral contest. It’s a talent screening process. With the ODI calendar getting thinner and people looking ahead to the 2027 World Cup cycle, every game is an audition. For Naim, it is a do-or-die moment; for Bangladesh, it is about getting in their heads as they move forward into the post-Mahmudullah-Mushy era. This is where peripheral players become permanent or fade into oblivion. So, whether Naim opens the innings or sits on the bench, simply being there indicates a measure of transition in the direction of the team: play with intent, be aggressive, and prioritise intent over legacy.
Bringing Naim back into the fold hints at more than just a response to form — it points to changing priorities in Bangladesh’s ODI approach. A chance for the left-handed batsman to redeem his game and to establish the idea that past performance in the game of cricket does not define current or future roles. As the Tigers travel to Sri Lanka with an unsettled team composition and refreshed mindset, attention will be on how the “new-look” squad works together. Will Naim flare to life, or will he continue to flicker? One thing is for sure: the spotlight is back and so is the pressure.
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