Soumya added to ODI squad for last match

Sports Correspondent: Bangladesh have included Soumya Sarkar in the squad for the third and last ODI against Zimbabwe in Chattogram.

Confirming this to risingbd.com on Wednesday, Chief selector Minhajul Abedin said that Soumya was the only addition to the current 15-member squad.

Over Soumya’s inclusion to the squad, Minhajul Abedin said, “Soumya has struck a century in the preparation match. It’s a good sign that now we have players who are in form. We want to get him in the squad.”

Soumya who is leading Khulna Division left Khulna on the third day of his side's ongoing first-class match against Rajshahi Division.

This is the second time in succession that Soumya has been added to the ODI squad midway through a series. He was flown to the UAE to join the team during the Asia Cup as "batting reinforcement" after Bangladesh were hit by an injury to Tamim Iqbal and were grappling with the form of their top order. In his two outings, however, he opened the batting only once, with a five-ball duck against Pakistan, before chipping in with a handy 33 in the final against India, where he batted at No. 7.

Since then, he has made a century and three fifties in the first-class competition of the Walton 20th National Cricket League (NCL), apart from an unbeaten 102 for BCB XI against Zimbabwe in the practice match in BKSP last Friday. He also took a five-for in the last match for Khulna against Rangpur.

Khulna have called upon Robiul Islam Robi as his replacement for the remainder of the first-class match.

Bangladesh Squad: Mashrafe Mortaza (capt), Liton Das, Imrul Kayes, Nazmul Hossain Shanto, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mohammad Mithun, Mahmudullah, Ariful Haque, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Mustafizur Rahman, Nazmul Islam, Rubel Hossain, Abu Hider, Mohammad Saifuddin, Fazle Mahmud, Soumya Sarkar


risingbd/Chattogram/Oct 24, 2018/Yeasin/AI