Litton Das, Shakib dropped as Bangladesh announce squad for Champions Trophy

Bangladesh selectors have excluded experienced batter Litton Das and included 21-year-old fast bowler Nahid Rana in the 15-man squad for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy.The squad, unveiled on Sunday, marked a new direction for the Tigers as they opted for fresh faces.Nahid Rana, making his debut in an ICC tournament, joins a pace attack featuring four seamers.Meanwhile, Litton’s prolonged struggle with form has cost him a place. His last international fifty came during the 2023 ODI World Cup against India, and in his last seven innings, he managed a top score of just 6.Although Litton showed signs of resurgence with a 73 off 43 balls for the Dhaka Capitals in the Bangladesh Premier League on Friday, it was his first half-century in 23 innings across formats. His recent performances against the West Indies, including scores of 2, 4, and 0 in the ODIs and 0, 3, and 14 in T20Is, proved insufficient for his inclusion.In addition to Litton, pacer Hasan Mahmud, batter Afif Hossain, and left-arm quick Shoriful Islam were also dropped.Top-order batter Parvez Hossain Emon, 22, has earned a call-up and awaits his ODI debut. Emon last represented Bangladesh in the T20I series against the West Indies.Allrounder Shakib Al Hasan, who is currently serving a bowling ban, was omitted. However, selectors have left room for further changes, as adjustments to the squad can be made without justification until February 12.On a brighter note, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mushfiqur Rahim, and Towhid Hridoy returned to the team after recovering from injuries that ruled them out of the West Indies series. Soumya Sarkar, still recovering from injury, also retained his place in the squad.Star left-arm pacer Mustafizur Rahman reclaimed his spot after missing the last series for family reasons. In his previous outing, Mustafizur excelled, claiming eight wickets in three ODIs against Afghanistan in Sharjah.The Champions Trophy is set to begin on February 19, with Bangladesh opening their campaign against India on February 20 in Dubai.Bangladesh Squad:Najmul Hossain Shanto (Captain), Mehedi Hasan Miraz, Tanzid Hasan, Soumya Sarkar, Parvez Hossain Emon, Mushfiqur Rahim, Towhid Hridoy, Mahmudullah, Jaker Ali, Rishad Hossain, Nasum Ahmed, Taskin Ahmed, Tazjim Hasan, Nahid Rana, Mustafizur Rahman.