Bangladesh Batter Soumya Sarkar Ruled Out Of T20I Against Pakistan, Replacement Named

Bangladesh batter Soumya Sarkar has been ruled out of the June T20 series against Pakistan due to a back injury. Mehidy Hasan Miraz, who is playing for Lahore Qalandars in the PSL 2025 playoffs, has been as been named as his replacement, according to ESPNcricinfo on Thursday. Pakistan will host Bangladesh for a three-match T20 series starting from May 28, the Bangladesh team is scheduled to arrive in Lahore on May 25, three days before the opener. The tourists’ training sessions are planned for May 26 and 27 to ensure optimal preparation for the series.

Soumya missed the three T20Is against UAE in Sharjah, a series Bangladesh lost 2-1, and the team physio, Bayjedul Islam Khan said he would need a couple of weeks to recover.

“Following medical evaluation, it has been determined that the injury requires an extended rehabilitation period of approximately 10 to 12 days,” Bayjedul said. “This effectively means that he will not be available for next week’s three-match series in Pakistan,” Bayjedul Islam Khan said.

Mehidy was left out of the T20I team that Bangladesh’s selectors had chosen for the UAE and Pakistan tour.

However, Mehidy has had a successful 2024-25 campaign. In addition to taking three five-wicket hauls and scoring a century in the Test Series against Zimbabwe, he was also named the Player of the Tournament in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) 2025 for his 355 runs and 13 wickets.

Mehidy is with his countrymen Shakib Al Hasan and Rishad Hossain in the Qalandars squad, and he will join the Bangladesh team in Lahore after his PSL commitments.

Bangladesh squad: Litton Das (capt), Tanzid Hasan, Parvez Hossain, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Towhid Hridoy, Shamim Hossain, Jaker Ali, Rishad Hossain, Mahedi Hasan (vice-capt), Tanvir Islam, Mustafizur Rahman, Hasan Mahmud, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Nahid Rana, and Shoriful Islam.

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