Bangladesh have suffered a major setback before their Super 4 campaign in the ongoing Asia Cup tournament as their in-form batter Najmul Hossain Shanto has been ruled out of the ongoing event due to a hamstring injury. Wicketkeeper-batter Litton Das, who was earlier omitted from the initial Asia Cup squad due to illness has been recalled to join the team.
Shanto will be flown back to Bangladesh so that he can start his rehabilitation and regain fitness in time before the ODI World Cup gets underway on October 5 in India. Bangladesh's leading run-getter in the ongoing event, Shanto scored 89 and 104 during his two outings for the Bangla Tigers against Sri Lanka and Afghanistan respectively. During his knock against Afghanistan, he complained of some discomfort in his left hamstring and a muscle tear was confirmed after conducting an MRI scan on the affected area. He did look uncomfortable while batting and didn't come out to field later.
Bangladesh men's team's physio, Bayjedul Islam Khan mentioned in a media release issued by the Bangladesh Cricket Board, that Shanto will not feature any further in the ongoing continental tournament and will begin rehab to get match fit as soon as possible.
"The player had complained of hamstring pain during batting and could not field. We had an MRI scan done confirming a muscle tear. As a precaution, Shanto will not take any further part in the tournament and will be returning home to start rehab and prepare for the World Cup," the statement read.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh will open their Super 4 account with a game against hosts Pakistan in Lahore on Wednesday, September 6. Litton's inclusion is set to bolster the unit's batting prowess and might open the innings alongside either Mohammad Naim or Mehidy Hasan Miraz. If that turns out to be the case, the Shakib Al Hasan-led side might have to tweak its batting order a bit.
