Ahead of the much-awaited Asia Cup 2023, the Bangladesh team have suffered a huge blow as Litton Das has been ruled out of Asia Cup 2023. He has still not recovered from the viral fever and has not travelled with the squad to Sri Lanka for the ACC event. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) selection committee announced Litton’s replacement as wicketkeeper-batter Anamul Haque Bijoy will join the squad and is expected to leave for the Island nation on Wednesday, August 30.

Chairman of the National Selection Panel, Minhajul Abedin said that Animal was always under consideration to make the cut in the setup.

“He (Anamul Haque Bijoy) has been in the runs in domestic cricket and we have continued to monitor him in the Bangladesh Tigers programme. He was always in our consideration. Due to Litton’s (Das) unavailability, we needed a top-order batter who could keep wicket and Anamul got the nod,” said Minhajul Abedin as quoted by the ICC.

As of now, Anamul has played 44 ODIs and scored 1254 runs, lacing it with five fifties and three centuries at an average of 30.58. The last time he played the ODI for Bangladesh was back in  2022, against India during the third ODI match where he made a paltry eight off seven balls.  Earlier, pacer Ebadot Hossain was also ruled out after he sustained a knee injury during the ODI series against Afghanistan in July. As a rest, the management decided to give a chance to young and uncapped 20-year-old pacer Tanzim Hasan as Ebadot’s replacement.

Bangla Tigers will start their Asia Cup campaign against Sri Lanka on Thursday, August 31, at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy.

Bangladesh updated squad: Shakib Al Hasan (c), Najmul Hossain Shanto, Tawhid Hridoy, Mushfiqur Rahim, Afif Hossain Dhrubo, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taskin Ahmed, Hasan Mahmud, Mustafizur Rahman, Shoriful Islam, Nasum Ahmed, Shak Mahedi Hasan, Naim Sheikh, Shamim Hossain, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Anamul Haque Bijoy.