Shahadat Hossain Dipu to Replace Najmul Hossain Shanto in West Indies Tests

Injured captain Najmul Hossain Shanto has been replaced by Shahadat Hossain Dipu for the upcoming West Indies Test tour. The 22-year-old right-handed batter from Chattogram has been called up to the national squad as a replacement for Shanto.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board’s (BCB) selection panel has included Shahadat Hossain Dipu in the Test squad. The remaining members of the squad left the country yesterday, and Dipu will join them soon.

Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto sustained an injury to his groin during the second ODI of the recently concluded Afghanistan series. Due to this injury, he was unable to play in the final match of the series and has been ruled out of the Test series against the West Indies as well.

Naturally, the BCB had to look for a replacement for Shanto, and young batter Shahadat Hossain Dipu has been given the opportunity. Dipu made his Test debut in November 2023 against New Zealand in Sylhet. So far, he has played a total of four Test matches, but has not been able to shine with the bat in those outings. In eight innings, Dipu has scored just 118 runs.

If given a chance in the West Indies series, Dipu will surely be eager to prove himself. In the most recent National Cricket League (NCL) match, Dipu scored a century. Leading the Barisal Division team, he played 249 balls to score 116 runs in the first innings against Cox's Bazar Division. His team won the match by 8 wickets.

Bangladesh will play two Tests against the West Indies in Antigua and Jamaica. Before the Test series, the Tigers will also play a four-day warm-up match in Antigua.