Sports Reporter :
Bangladesh National Cricket team led by Mahmudullah Riyad left the city on Sunday at 1.00 pm for Colombo to take part in the Nidahas Trophy, a Tri-Nation Twenty20 Cricket Tournament starting from tomorrow. Bangladesh Cricket team reached Colombo in the afternoon.
Hosts Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and India will participate in the Round Robin League basis cricket competition. The top two teams from the league will face each other in the final.
Nidahas Trophy will be held marking the Sri Lanka’s 70th year of Independence.
All the matches will be held at R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. The Day/ Night affairs will begin from 7.30 pm BST (Bangladesh Standard Time).
Mahmudullah Riyad returned to Dhaka on Saturday from United Arab Emirates (UAE). Then he joined the squad. Mahmudullah Riyad said, ” If we win the first match, we will get a good momentum. The win will boost up our total team and will inspire to do well in the tournament. “
Riyad said, ” To play without Shakib is a very tough task for us. It is tough to fulfill the absence of Shakib.”
He said, ” Our target is to win the trophy. We get a chance to show our ability in the shorter version cricket competition.”
Dashing opener Tamim Iqbal, hard-hitter Sabbir Rahman and left-arm pacer Mustafizur Rahman will join the squad from UAE.
Meanwhile, world-class all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan has been ruled out from Bangladesh squad due to injury. Thus Mahmudullah Riyad will lead Bangladesh team in the Nidahs Trophy. Batsman Liton Das has been included in the squad instead of Shakib Al Hasan.
The Bangldadesh Cricket Board (BCB) announced on Saturday the 16-member Bangladesh squad, which will take part in the Nidahas Trophy.
The players are: Mahmudullah Riyad (Captain), Tamim Iqbal, Soumya Sarkar, Imrul Kayes, Mushfiqur Rahim, Sabbir Rahman, Mustafizur Rahman, Rubel Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Abu Hider, Abu Jayed, Ariful Haque, Nazmul Islam, Nurul Hasan and Mehedi Hasan Miraz and Liton Kumar Das.
India rested Virat Kohli, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and more two senior players.
On the other hand, Sri Lankan all-rounder Angelo Mathews has been ruled out from the squad and he will miss the Nidahas Trophy. Bangladesh will face India in their first match on March 8.
The fixture of Nidahas Trophy:
March 6: Sri Lanka v India
March 8: Bangladesh v India
March 10: Sri Lanka v Bangladesh
March 12: Sri Lanka v India
March 14: Bangladesh v India
March 16: Sri Lanka v Bangladesh
March 18:Final.
