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Shanto steps down as Bangladesh Test captain after series loss against Sri Lanka
Najmul Hossain Shanto has stepped down as Bangladesh Test captain following the 1-0 series defeat to Sri Lanka today. [Saturday.28th]
Shanto said he had already informed the BCB of his decision, which he took to reduce the number of captains within the Bangladesh set-up (they had one for each format), before bringing it to the public during the post-match press conference in Colombo after the second Test.
“I have an announcement to make,” Shanto told reporters after Bangladesh were beaten by an innings and 78 runs. “I am stepping down from the Bangladesh Test captaincy. I don’t want to continue as captain in this format, and I want to give a clear message to everyone: this is not a personal matter. It is entirely for the betterment of the team, and I believe this will help the team. If the cricket board feels they will continue with three captains in three formats, that will be their decision.”
Shanto had been Bangladesh’s all-format captain but, earlier this year, quit the T20I role. Then, at a press conference before the team departed for Sri Lanka, he highlighted the importance of having a long term ODI captain. This press conference happened on the same day as a meeting between the BCB directors, the outcome of which was Shanto being replaced as ODI captain by Mehidy Hasan Miraz. It is reported that Shanto was slighted by this sequence of events, but he avoided commenting on the matter.
“I just hope people don’t see this as a personal issue or think I did this because I felt bad about the ODI captaincy snub,” he said. “I want to make it clear again: this is for the betterment of the team. There is nothing personal here. I already informed the cricket operations department a few days back.”
Under Shanto, Bangladesh won four out of 14 Tests. They started by beating New Zealand in Sylhet in November 2023 and peaked with a series win over Pakistan in August 2024. In Sri Lanka, Shanto became the first Bangladesh captain to hit two centuries in a Test match. He averaged 36.24 during his time leading the team which was a marked improvement from when he was just part of the ranks (29.83).
Shanto was first made a stop-gap captain in November 2023 following an injury to Shakib Al Hasan. He took over full-time in early 2024, the BCB giving him the reins across all formats for 12 months.
Bangladesh do not play Test cricket again until October, when they host Ireland, which gives the board some time to figure out who their new captain will be. Mehidy leads them in ODIs, Litton Das does so in T20Is. It is likely one of them will be tapped to perform the role in Tests too.
[Cricinfo]
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Showers above 100 mm are likely at some places in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central, Uva and Southern provinces and in Anuradhapura district
WEATHER FORECAST FOR 08 OCTOBER 2026
Issued at 05.30 a.m. on 08 October 2026 by the Department of Meteorology
Misty conditions can be expected at some places in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Galle and Matara districts during the early hours of the morning.
Showers or thundershowers will occur in the most part of the island after 1.00 p.m. Heavy showers above 100 mm are likely at some places in Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central, Uva and Southern provinces and in Anuradhapura district.
The general public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damage caused by temporary localized strong winds and lightning during thundershowers.
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Smriti Mandhana has been named India’s all-format women’s captain on the same day Harmanpreet Kaur stepped down from the role after nearly a decade since she first took over.
Mandhana – vice-captain to Harmanpreet for much of this period – has previously led India in four ODIs and 18 T20Is, apart from captaining Maharashtra in domestic cricket and Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Women’s Premier League.
Mandhana’s first assignment will be the limited-overs series against Zimbabwe beginning with the three T20Is in Raipur from October 16. On Tuesday, Mandhana was part of the selection meeting chaired by Amita Sharma to pick the squad for the tour.
Terming the appointment a “special honour”, Mandhana also acknowledged the contributions of her predecessor in her welcome note.
“I would also like to acknowledge Harmanpreet and the contribution she has made as captain over the years,” she was quoted as saying by the BCCI. “She has led the team with great commitment and has been an important part of our journey.
“I understand the responsibility that comes with this role and look forward to working with the team, learning along the way and giving my best to take Indian cricket forward.”
Mandhana’s appointment comes on the back of a review meeting held on Monday in Guwahati. Chaired by secretary Devajit Saikia, the meeting was also attended by Mandhana, Harmanpreet and head coach Amol Muzumdar to chart a roadmap forward, with an eye on next year’s inaugural Women’s Champions Trophy in February as well as the T20 World Cup and Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.
Mandhana, India’s best all-format batter, has been knocking on the doors for a while. Earlier this year, she led RCB to their second WPL title, in which she also top-scored in the final.
In September, she overtook Mithali Raj to become the leading run-scorer in women’s international across formats. Her 18 international hundreds are also the most in women’s cricket. She is also the first Indian woman to score centuries in all formats.
[Cricinfo]
Showers or thundershowers will occur in most part of the island after 1.00 p.m.
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