Bangladesh opt to bat first as Litton Das misses debut T20I against Australia in 2026

Bangladesh’s stand-in captain Towhid Hridoy won the toss and chose to bat first against Australia in the opening T20I in Chattogram, with Litton Das still recovering from a calf injury sustained in the ODIs.

Bangladesh name stand-in skipper Towhid Hridoy led Bangladesh for the first time in his international career as the team’s regular skipper Litton Das was forced to miss the match due to a muscle tear. Litton picked up the injury while batting in the third ODI in Dhaka earlier in the week. Hridoy was handed the leadership role as a consequence of Litton’s absence. Following a medical check, Bangladesh’s physio Delowar Hossain confirmed the diagnosis of a Grade 1 strain in the left calf muscle. ## Litton’s injury update and recovery outlook Delowar Hossain stated that Litton’s calf muscle strain is considered minor, adding that his recovery is progressing well. The injury rules him out of the first T20I against Australia. However, his potential return for upcoming matches will depend on how he responds to treatment and rehabilitation. The medical team will continue to monitor his progress closely in the days ahead. ## Bangladesh make batting and wicketkeeping changes With Litton Das unavailable, Bangladesh made two key adjustments to their lineup for the T20I against Australia. Soumya Sarkar was promoted to open the batting, while Parvez Hossain Emon took over wicketkeeping duties. Parvez is himself recovering from an illness but has been deemed fit to play. The team also included Abdul Gaffar Saqlain, who earned his first T20I cap and became Bangladesh’s 93rd player in the format. ## Mustafizur returns as Bangladesh shuffle bowling Mustafizur Rahman returned to the T20I squad after being rested for the previous series against New Zealand. Nahid Rana and Taskin Ahmed were left out of the playing XI despite their presence in the squad. The changes reflect Bangladesh’s efforts to balance experience and fresh talent in their attack. The team is aiming to put up a strong performance in the first T20I under Hridoy’s leadership. ## Australia debut two new players in Chattogram Australia made four changes to their XI for the T20I in Chattogram, introducing Nikhil Chaudhary and Joel Davies to the side. Spencer Johnson was also included in the lineup, marking his return to the format. The tourists are without Travis Head, Cameron Green, Glenn Maxwell, and Marcus Stoinis compared to their XI from the T20 World Cup clash against Oman earlier in the year. Cameron Green was withdrawn after the final ODI on Sunday, while Head is resting at home. ## Australia omit Maxwell and Stoinis; Connolly returns Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis were excluded from Australia’s tour party following the ODI series in Bangladesh. Cooper Connolly, who had impressed with a maiden ODI century in Dhaka on Sunday, returned to the T20I XI. His inclusion adds depth to Australia’s middle order as they look to adapt to conditions in Chattogram. The team is keen to build momentum in the T20I series ahead of the next phase of their campaign. ## Chaudhary makes history with Australian debut Nikhil Chaudhary became the first male player born in India to represent Australia in international cricket since Rex Sellers in 1964. His inclusion breaks a long gap for Indian-born cricketers in Australian men’s teams. In women’s cricket, Lisa Sthalekar, who was born in Pune, played 187 matches for Australia, highlighting the growing diversity in the team’s composition over the years. ## Teams and squads for the Chattogram T20I Bangladesh’s playing XI featured Saif Hassan, Tanzid Hasan, Soumya Sarkar, Parvez Hossain Emon, Tawhid Hridoy, Shamim Hossain, Mahedi Hasan, Abdul Gaffar Saqlain, Rishad Hossain, Shoriful Islam, and Mustafizur Rahman. Australia countered with Mitchell Marsh as captain, supported by Josh Inglis, Cooper Connolly, Matt Renshaw, Tim David, Nikhil Chaudhary, Joel Davies, Xavier Bartlett, Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa, and Spencer Johnson. This marks Australia’s first match at this venue since a Test in 2017.