Nurul Hasan Sohan last played an ODI in November 2023 against New Zealand. Since then, he has been out of the national team. Despite being a consistent performer in domestic cricket, he hasn’t caught the selectors’ attention. Many expected Sohan to be considered to fill the middle-order void left after the retirements of Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah Riyad. However, he was left out of the squad for the Sri Lanka tour — a sign that he is fighting an uphill battle with fate. Time and again, the selectors have overlooked him.
Regretfully, Sohan admitted that his career might have taken a different path if he had been given regular opportunities. On Monday night at the Bir Sreshtho Shahid Flight Lieutenant Motiur Rahman Cricket Stadium in Chattogram, cricketers under the ODI radar played a practice match split into Green and Red teams. Playing for the Red team, Sohan smashed 97 runs off 70 balls, hitting seven sixes and seven fours.
After the match, speaking to reporters, the wicketkeeper-batter opened up about his frustration over not being given a consistent chance in the national team.
Sohan said,
“For the last few years, I’ve been doing well in 50-over matches. Domestic seasons have gone well too. Even in my last ODI appearance, I may have done well. Had I played regularly, maybe my career would have been in a different place. It often makes me wonder — if I’m not getting a chance in the national team, what’s the point of playing? I want to play for the country — that’s the main goal. I have no desire to end my career just playing club or franchise cricket. I want to give all my talent, ability, and skills to my country and the national team. If I can’t do that, then what’s the point of playing?”
His frustration is backed by performance — something that cannot be ignored. When selectors consider players for the ODI squad, they look at domestic List-A cricket. In the last season of the Dhaka Premier League (the only domestic one-day tournament), Sohan scored 512 runs for Dhanmondi Sports Club in 11 matches, including two centuries and three fifties. The season before that, he scored 495 runs. His performance even earned him a spot in the ‘A’ team, where he performed well — yet the door to the national team has remained shut.
The pain of exclusion was evident in the voice of the 31-year-old, who has played 11 Tests, 7 ODIs, and 46 T20Is for Bangladesh.
“Of course, there’s regret in that area. Maybe I couldn’t grab the opportunity for whatever reason. But the regret remains. Playing for the national team is a matter of pride. The day I lose the dream or hope of playing for the national team, I will stop playing cricket altogether.”
Chief selector Gazi Ashraf Hossain Lipu explained on Monday why Sohan wasn’t picked for the ODI squad. Liton Das, who was dropped after the Champions Trophy, has been brought back for the Sri Lanka tour. Another wicketkeeper, Zakir Ali Anik, is also included. So, the selectors didn’t want an additional wicketkeeper.
However, Lipu assured that Sohan is still in the selectors’ thoughts.
“Sohan is definitely under our consideration. He’s an effective player, especially in the six-seven batting positions. We hope to see him in the squad in the future. We have the Sri Lanka series before the Asia Cup, followed by home matches against Pakistan and India. We want to use this entire period to closely evaluate the players we need to assess.”