Nigar Sultana has stepped down as Bangladesh’s T20I captain, sending her formal decision to the Bangladesh Cricket Board in a letter from Japan on Tuesday, September 15. The announcement arrived during the team’s Asian Games campaign, two days before Bangladesh’s opening match against China on September 17. Sultana cited a desire to concentrate on her batting and wicketkeeping while continuing to lead the ODI side as her reason for relinquishing the T20I captaincy.
Rafiqul Islam Babu, chairman of the BCB women’s wing, responded to the development on Wednesday, September 16. The board received Sultana’s email and plans to discuss the matter and determine the way forward after the team returns from the Asian Games.
“I honestly don’t know why she suddenly decided to step down (from T20I captaincy). The player does not feel comfortable and expressed a desire to focus more on batting and wicketkeeping, wishing to stay in the 50-over format while stepping away from T20s, an email was sent regarding this matter,” said Rafiqul as quoted by Cricbuzz.
“The decision taken before the Asian Games leaves me both embarrassed and deeply disappointed. If there were any issues or problems in that case I could have been informed after the team returned from the tournament. We could have reached a decision together. Tamim (Iqbal) and I will discuss and decide once they return. After they get back from the Asian Games, we will figure out the best way forward,” he added.
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Sultana’s captaincy record and recent form
Sultana assumed the T20I captaincy in 2022 and led Bangladesh in 80 T20I matches during her tenure. Her record as captain included 32 wins and 47 losses, with one match ending without a result, giving her a win percentage of 40.50%. The team’s performance under her leadership showed mixed results in recent months, with varying fortunes across different formats and competitions.
One significant achievement during Sultana’s captaincy came at the 2024 T20 World Cup, when Bangladesh defeated Scotland to secure a World Cup victory after a decade. At that tournament, Sultana contributed 104 runs across four innings and effected seven dismissals behind the wickets. The World Cup qualifiers earlier in 2026 saw Bangladesh finish as unbeaten champions, but subsequent results proved inconsistent.
The team suffered a 3-0 home series loss to Sri Lanka in April-May 2026, followed by mixed outcomes in the Scotland-Netherlands tri-series and two victories from five matches at the World Cup. These results had brought scrutiny on Sultana’s leadership in the shortest format. No successor has been named as of September 15, 2026, and the BCB has not publicly indicated a timeline for appointing a new T20I captain.
