Bangladesh women’s cricket team captain Nigar Sultana has surprised the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) by announcing her intention to step down from T20I leadership following the conclusion of the Asian Games. The board was alerted to the decision via email just two days prior to Bangladesh’s opening match against China, scheduled for September 17. Nigar intends to retain her role as the ODI captain while shifting her focus toward improving her personal performance in batting and wicketkeeping.
Rafiqul Islam Babu, chairman of the BCB women’s wing, expressed disappointment regarding the timing of the announcement. He noted that the board is currently unsure of the specific motivations behind her abrupt move. “I honestly don’t know why she suddenly decided to step down,” Rafiqul stated, adding that he felt embarrassed by the decision being made immediately before a major tournament. He suggested that such matters would have been better addressed after the team returned home, allowing for a collaborative discussion between the player, himself, and Tamim Iqbal to determine the best path forward.
Reflecting on her tenure, Nigar has served as the T20I skipper since 2022. Her leadership saw notable highs, including a historic victory against Scotland during the 2024 T20 World Cup, marking Bangladesh’s first tournament win in a decade. During that campaign, she contributed 104 runs across four innings and recorded seven dismissals behind the stumps.
Despite these successes, her T20I captaincy has faced increased pressure following a series of inconsistent results. While the team became unbeaten champions in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, subsequent form included a 2-1 home series defeat to Sri Lanka, mixed performances in a Scotland-Netherlands tri-series, and winning only two of five matches at the recent World Cup. The board is expected to formalize their next steps once the squad concludes its Asian Games campaign. The report also notes that citing a desire to focus on her batting and wicketkeeping while continuing to lead the ODI side, on Tuesday (September 15) that Nigar had informed the board of her decision by email. The report also notes that wishing to stay in the 50-over format while stepping away from T20s, an email was sent regarding this matter, the player does not feel comfortable and expressed a desire to focus more on batting and wicketkeeping. The report also notes that we will figure out the best way forward, after they get back from the Asian Games.
