Sohan ‘up for the challenge’ in Zimbabwe

Bangladesh wicketkeeper-batter Nurul Hasan Sohan said that he is up for the challenge of leading the side in T20Is in the upcoming tour of Zimbabwe later this month. 

"Obviously, it is a challenge for me, but I am up for it," said Sohan to The Daily Star today after being named the captain for the three-match T20I series against Zimbabwe, slated to begin on July 30 in Harare. 

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) announced a young T20I side for the Zimbabwe tour, resting the likes of usual T20I skipper Mahmudullah Riyad and Mushfiqur Rahim. Premier all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan will also be missing the tour as he has been granted leave. 

With Bangladesh losing 11 of their last 12 T20Is, Sohan will have a steep challenge in regrouping an inexperienced side. However, the 28-year-old insisted that playing as a unit could help Bangladesh perform better and recover from their ongoing slump in the format.  

"I am confident that if we can play as a unit then we can perform a lot better. My aim will be to make the team stick together as a family and play as a unit. I led teams in the domestic circuit but leading the national team is obviously different. But I am confident that if everyone contributes from their end then my job will become much easier."

— Nurul Hasan Sohan

"I am confident that if we can play as a unit then we can perform a lot better. My aim will be to make the team stick together as a family and play as a unit. I led teams in the domestic circuit but leading the national team is obviously different. But I am confident that if everyone contributes from their end then my job will become much easier," Sohan reiterated. 

Aside from leading the side, the wicketkeeper batter, who had a decent outing in the ODIs against the West Indies earlier this month, will also aim to improve his stats in T20Is. Playing a total of 33 T20Is, Sohan has scored only 271 runs at an average of 12.90. His highest in the format is an unbeaten 30-run knock at home against Zimbabwe in 2016.  

"As a player, I have a specific role and as I will be leading the side, I will try to balance that," Sohan concluded.