The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) announced a 15-member women’s squad on Monday, August 17, for the upcoming Women’s Asia Cup in Dubai and the 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. Top-order batter Sharmin Sultana makes her return to the national side, having last represented Bangladesh against Sri Lanka in May 2026. She replaces Taj Nehar, who was part of the squad during the recent World Cup.
Explaining the selection change, BCB women’s wing chief selector Sazzad Ahmed stated that the team needed to address concerns at the top of the order. “We tried Taj but she failed, which prompted us to bring Sharmin,” Ahmed told. He added that the decision was also influenced by the current form of Dilara Akhter, noting, “Our other opener Dola (Dilara Akhter) is not among runs and that is the reason we are keeping another opener in the squad.”
The Women’s Asia Cup is set to commence at the Dubai International Stadium on August 28. Bangladesh, placed in Group B with Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and the UAE, will open their campaign against Indonesia on August 31. This will be followed by matches against Sri Lanka on September 6 and the UAE on September 8, with the tournament final scheduled for September 13.
Following the conclusion of the Asia Cup, the team will shift focus to the Asian Games in Japan. Bangladesh is scheduled to play their first quarter-final match against China at Korogi Athletic Park on September 17. Should they advance to the semi-finals, they are set to face either India or Japan. The tournament concludes on September 22, with both the gold-medal and bronze-medal matches taking place that day.
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