DHAKA: In a significant development, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) confirmed on Thursday that Najmul Hossain Shanto has officially resigned from his role as the national T20I captain.

The decision comes after earlier indications that he would step down following the home series against South Africa in late 2024. Initially, Shanto had planned to relinquish his T20I captaincy after the ICC T20 World Cup 2024, held in the USA and West Indies. However, after some reflection, the 25-year-old has decided to step back from leadership duties across all formats of the game, marking the end of his tenure as the captain in T20 internationals. While the BCB initially supported Shanto’s decision to take a break from the T20I captaincy, a twist occurred when BCB President Faruque Ahmed intervened unexpectedly. As a result, Shanto was reinstated as captain for Bangladesh’s three-match ODI series against Afghanistan. However, his leadership role was cut short when he sustained an injury during the series. “We accepted his decision to step down from T20Is,” a senior BCB official explained. “But since there are no immediate T20I matches scheduled, we have time to reflect and are not rushing to appoint a new captain.”  Despite his resignation from the T20I role, the BCB confirmed that Shanto will continue to lead Bangladesh in the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

Scheduled for February-March in Pakistan, the tournament will be a major test for Shanto and the Bangladesh team. “If there is no injury issue, Najmul will remain the captain for Tests and ODIs, as we have discussed,” the BCB official added. Shanto’s decision marks the end of a chapter in his leadership journey, but his involvement in the prestigious ICC Champions Trophy will keep him at the helm for the foreseeable future.