Bangladesh wicketkeeper-batter Nigar Sultana is expected to resign as T20I captain after a disappointing Asian Games, during which the team was eliminated in the semifinals. According to Cricbuzz reports, Nigar reportedly told the board she was stepping down from leadership in the shortest format to concentrate more on her batting and keeping. She plans to keep leading the ODI team.
She has already informed the Bangladesh Cricket Board that she intends to focus more of her energy on batting and wicketkeeping, rather than taking on the extra responsibility of leading the team in T20 cricket. She will, however, continue to lead the ODI team. According to Cricbuzz, Nigar formally communicated her decision to the board via a letter sent from Japan on September 15. It is understood that BCB president Tamim Iqbal has accepted her request.
It is reported that Bangladesh Cricket Board president Tamim Iqbal accepted her decision following Nigar’s formal notification to the board via letter on Tuesday. Nigar has been leading the Bangladesh T20I team since 2022. She guided Bangladesh to its first T20 World Cup victory in a decade, securing a win over Scotland in the 2024 tournament. Although Bangladesh has consistently shown talent, achieving victories has not occurred as often as the team would prefer.
Nigar’s reasoning stems from her wish to enhance her individual performance as both a batter and wicketkeeper, a dual role she has held alongside captaincy since 2022. By retaining the ODI captaincy, she has indicated that this is not a full step back from leadership but a conscious reduction of her duties specifically within the T20I format.
Her performance in the shortest format has been inconsistent. Earlier in 2026, Bangladesh secured the title as unbeaten champions in the World Cup qualifiers, but subsequent performances, including a 2-1 home series loss to Sri Lanka, inconsistent results in the Scotland-Netherlands tri-series, and just two wins from five matches at the World Cup, prompted renewed questions about her leadership in T20Is leading up to this announcement.
