Bangladesh’s captain Shakib Al Hasan will likely miss the team’s last match in the current World Cup and the upcoming home series against New Zealand at the end of this month due to an injury to his left index finger. Shakib sustained the injury while batting during the match against Sri Lanka in Delhi on Monday, November 6th. A subsequent X-ray confirmed a fracture, forcing him out of the tournament. His deputy, Najmul Hossain Shanto, will lead the team against Australia on November 11th.
The national team’s physio, Bayjedul Islam Khan, stated, “Shakib suffered an injury to his left index finger early in his innings, but he continued to bat with the help of strapping and pain relief medication. Following the match, an emergency X-ray in Delhi confirmed a fracture in his left index finger.” Islam Khan added, “He is expected to recover in three to four weeks. He will travel to Bangladesh today to begin his rehabilitation.”
Four years ago, after scoring over 600 runs in the World Cup, 36-year-old Shakib’s campaign in India ended disappointingly with just 186 runs from seven innings at an average of 26.57. Among those runs was a match-winning performance where he also took two wickets to win the Player of the Match award. Shakib was one of the central figures in the time-out drama that occurred in Delhi yesterday and was caught up in the middle of the tournament when he went home to work on his game with his private coach.
Bangladesh, which has only won two out of eight matches, has already been eliminated from the semifinal race. However, they continue to strive for qualification in the 2025 Champions Trophy.