Najmul Hossain Shanto scored his eighth Test hundred on day three of the first Test between Bangladesh and Ireland in Sylhet. The left-hander has set high standards for himself in recent times, becoming one of Bangladesh’s most reliable performers in the format.
Over his last five Test innings, Shanto has scored 148, 125*, 8, 19, and 100 — three centuries in five knocks. In 2025 alone, he has made 523 runs in eight innings at an average of 74.71, placing him among the top-performing Test batters in the world this year.
Shanto’s 2025 Test batting stats
| Innings | Runs | Average | Highest Score | 50s / 100s |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | 523 | 74.71 | 148 | 1 / 3 |
So, what has made his batting so effective lately? One clear improvement has been how he handles wicket-to-wicket deliveries. His century against Ireland provided a perfect example.
He reached his hundred off 114 balls, showing excellent balance and composure. Against deliveries on the stumps, Shanto leaned forward confidently, transferring his weight smoothly and playing in the ‘V’. That adjustment, once a weakness, has now become one of his strengths. In this innings alone, he struck five boundaries through the ‘V’ via straight drives, on-drives, and off-drives, with a straight bat.
When the Irish bowlers switched to shorter lengths, Shanto quickly adapted again. He punished the loose balls with well-timed pulls, collecting eight boundaries through the mid-wicket region and another through deep backward fine-leg.
Five of his boundaries came through long on and long off, while eight were struck through mid-wicket. Additionally, a single boundary was hit through deep backward fine-leg, highlighting the batsmen’s ability to find gaps across the field.
| Role | Innings | Runs | Highest Score | Average | 100s / 50s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| As captain | 27 | 1006 | 148 | 38.69 | 4 / 2 |
| As non-captain | 44 | 1283 | 163 | 29.83 | 4 / 3 |
Shanto’s consistency stands out in Bangladesh’s batting history. He now has eight hundreds and five fifties in Tests – a rare fifty-to-hundred conversion rate of 61.54%. For context, Shakib Al Hasan’s rate sits at just 13.89% after 4,609 runs in 130 innings. Among players with at least 2,000 Test runs, only George Headley (66.66%) and Sir Don Bradman (69.05%) boast better conversion rates.
Best fifty-to-hundred conversion rate (min 2000 Test runs)
| Player | Conversion Rate |
|---|---|
| Sir Don Bradman | 69.05% |
| George Headley | 66.66% |
| Najmul Hossain Shanto | 61.54% |
As captain, Shanto’s numbers are even more impressive. He has scored 1,004 runs in 27 innings at an average of 40.10, compared to 1,283 runs in 44 innings at 29.84 when not leading. His latest century was also his fourth as Bangladesh captain equalling Mushfiqur Rahim for the most by any Bangladesh skipper.
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Bangladesh captains with most Test hundreds:
| Player | 100s | Highest score | ||
| Mushfiqur Rahim | 4 | 200 | ||
| Najmul Hossain Shanto | 4 | 148 | ||
| Mominul Haque | 3 | 132 | ||
| Mahmudullah Riyad | 2 | 146 | ||
| Mohammad Ashraful | 2 | 129* |
With form, focus, and leadership all coming together, Najmul Hossain Shanto has not just been scoring runs, he has been turning himself into one of the best achievers with the bat in Tests for Bangladesh. He is on the right track, and if his graph goes as it is going right now, he can achieve heights that can make him one of the greats for the country.
