Nahida Akter has been named captain of the Bangladesh women’s T20 International (T20I) cricket team for a one-year term, with batter Sobhana Mostary appointed as her deputy, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) women’s wing chairman, Rafiqul Islam Babu, announced Sunday. Nahida is scheduled to begin her captaincy at the Emerging Nations Trophy in Thailand this November.
Following consultations with key stakeholders, the BCB decided to entrust Nahida with the T20I leadership role for the coming year. Rafiqul Islam Babu stated the arrangement will be reviewed ahead of the 2028 ICC T20 World Cup to determine future leadership plans.
Nahida, 25, has been a prominent figure in Bangladesh women's cricket, having played 65 One Day Internationals (ODIs) and 113 T20Is. She has taken 81 wickets in ODIs and 132 wickets in T20Is. Before her appointment as captain, Nahida served as vice-captain under former T20I captain Nigar Sultana Joty, who had held the role since 2022.
Joty publicly congratulated Nahida on her new responsibility via a post on her official Facebook page, expressing her continued support for the team and its leadership.
The leadership change came following Joty’s unexpected request to step down as T20I captain after the Asian Games last month. Reports suggest that Joty felt her captaincy was being unfairly questioned, while the BCB stated it had no initial intention to replace her. Despite relinquishing the T20I captaincy, Joty will maintain her position as captain for the Bangladesh women’s ODI team.
The BCB’s decision marks a significant transition for the team as they prepare for upcoming competitions, with an emphasis on stability and performance under Nahida’s leadership.