Bangladesh captain Litton Das won the toss and chose to field against New Zealand in the first T20I on Monday at the Bir Shrestha Shaheed Flight Lieutenant Matiur Rahman Cricket Stadium in Chattogram, opting for a bowling-first approach in the series opener.
Bangladesh structured their XI with six batters, two spinners and three seamers. Ripon Mondal took a place in the pace unit after earlier appearances at the 2023 Asian Games, which hold international status. The team management still marked his inclusion formally within the squad setup before the match.
The selection reflects a balance between pace and spin options. Bangladesh added three fast bowlers to control powerplay and death overs, while two spinners provide middle-overs control. This structure allows flexibility depending on match conditions.
New Zealand adjusted their side due to injury. Tom Latham missed the match with a toe injury sustained in training, and Nick Kelly took over captaincy duties. The absence removes an experienced decision-maker from the XI.
New Zealand included two debutants in Nathan Smith and Ben Fisher. The selection indicates a willingness to test new players in unfamiliar conditions.
Bangladesh XI: Litton Kumar Das (captain), Saif Hassan (vice-captain), Tanzid Hasan, Parvez Hossain, Towhid Hridoy, Shamim Hossain, Sheikh Mehedi Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Tanzim Hasan, Shariful Islam, Ripon Mondal.
New Zealand XI: Tim Robinson, Katene Clarke, Dane Cleaver, Nick Kelly (captain), Bevon Jacobs, Dean Foxcroft, Josh Clarkson, Nathan Smith, Ish Sodhi, Matthew Fisher, Ben Lister.
