SPORTS REPORTER

Pacers Ripon Mondol and Abdul Gaffar Saqlain have earned call-ups as Bangladesh named a 15-member squad on Tuesday for their upcoming three-match T20I series against New Zealand.

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) announced the squad for the first two matches of the series, which begins in Chattogram on April 27. The second match will also be held at the same venue on April 29, while the third and final T20I is scheduled for May 2 in Dhaka.

Experienced pacers Mustafizur Rahman, Taskin Ahmed and Nahid Rana have been rested for the opening two matches, paving the way for a revamped pace attack.

Uncapped pacer Saqlain has received his maiden national call-up, having recently caught attention with skills well-suited to the T20 format. The 28-year-old also offers lower-order hitting ability.

Right-arm quick Ripon Mondol, meanwhile, has been rewarded for his consistency, particularly at the death. The 23-year-old has previously featured in three T20 matches for Bangladesh, all during the 2023 Asian Games cricket competition.

Both players impressed at last year’s ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup and also in the Bangladesh Premier League earlier this year, often forming a pace partnership for the Rajshahi Warriors.