Bangladesh chief selector Gazi Ashraf Hossain Lipu has confirmed that wicketkeeper-batter Nurul Hasan Sohan is being considered the best back-up option at present, serving as the reserve wicketkeeper behind Jaker Ali in the Asia Cup squad.
Speaking to reporters at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur on Saturday, a day after the squad announcement, Lipu explained the reasoning behind Sohan’s inclusion. The 31-year-old is returning to the T20I setup after nearly three years.
Although his recent numbers are modest — 1007 runs at an average of 26.50 with two fifties since his last T20I — Sohan has long been under discussion within the selection panel. Lipu described his call-up as a strategic move.
“We made it clear that Sohan was under close observation. Even if he didn’t get immediate international exposure, he and others had the opportunity to play at the lower T20I level. That, too, was part of our strategy – to let him experience competitive cricket, understand the challenges, and learn how to raise his performance to the required standard. So, it was very much a strategic decision,” Lipu said.
Sohan has been active in franchise and ‘A’ team cricket. He captained Rangpur Riders in the Global Super League in Guyana, winning the trophy in 2024 and finishing runners-up in 2025. In the latest edition, he scored 65 runs in five innings with a strike rate of 147.72. More recently, he led Bangladesh ‘A’ in the Top End T20 Series in Darwin, Australia, where he managed 115 runs from six innings at a strike rate of 113.86.
“There is a process behind every selection, and in some cases, we go through deep-dive thinking as well. Sometimes a player is not picked for the greater interest of the team. Before the Sri Lanka T20I series, there was a lot of discussion about including Sohan,” Lipu explained. “But considering the team combination at that time, we felt his chances of making the first eleven were quite limited. Instead, we thought it would serve him better to prepare by playing in the Global T20 League, as we already knew he would also be going to Darwin with the ‘A’ team. This way, he could get the benefit of playing around ten more matches ahead of bigger challenges like the Asia Cup.”
Lipu also spoke about Jaker Ali, who has featured regularly across formats, scoring 571 runs in 30 T20I innings with a strike rate of 126.32 and an average of 27.19.
“Unfortunately, we don’t have a large pool of challengers or like-to-like replacements. That’s why his approach and batting pattern, especially at No. 5 and 6, give us confidence that he is a reliable option. In the Sri Lanka series, Jaker Ali was injured in one match. Considering everything, we saw Sohan as the best back-up at this moment,” Lipu concluded.
LND/NE
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