For the first Test matchup with Sri Lanka, Litton Das is back.

Nahid Rana, an uncapped pacer, is part of Bangladesh’s 15-man team for the first Test of their two-match series against Sri Lanka, which gets off in Sylhet on March 22. Fast bowler Mushfik Hasan, who they included in the team for the Test series against Afghanistan, has also been selected. Senior hitter Litton Das has returned to the field after missing the last series against New Zealand.

The players that were included in the team that played against New Zealand, including pacer Hasan Mahmud, left-arm spinner Hasan Morad, and wicketkeeper Nurul Hasan, were unable to make the first Test against Sri Lanka.

“We think there’s a great balance in the team selected for the opening Test. Nahid Rana is the only new player on our Test side, which is a rather established team. After missing our most recent Test series due to leave, Liton (Das) is back. Every department is well-covered and has backups. In a statement released on Monday, National Selection Panel member Abdur Razzak Razzak stated, “I believe we have a team that can adapt to the requirements of the conditions.”

“Rana is a really intriguing possibility. He can extract steep bounce and is currently maybe Bangladesh’s fastest bowler. Even though it’s early in his career, he has an excellent first-class record. They also included Mushfik Hasan, another youthful pacer, in the team. Given that Taskin Ahmed is not currently participating in Test matches and Ebadot Hossain is out due to injury, now is the ideal time for these pacers to get experience,” he continued.

The action moves to Chattogram after the first game in Sylhet, with the second Test beginning on March 30. These two matches are part of the ICC World Test Championship calendar for 2023–2025.