Bangladesh keeper-batter Nigar Sultana is set to step down as T20I captain following a disappointing Asian Games campaign which saw the nation bow out in the semifinals.
According to reports by cricbuzzNigar had rrportedly informed the board of her decision to give up leadership in the shortest format so she could focus more on her batting and keeping. She intends to continue leading the ODI team
Bangladesh Cricket Board president Tamim Iqbal is said to have accepted her decision after Nigar formally made her decision known to the board in a letter on Tuesday.
Nigar has been at the helm of the Bangladesh T20I side since 2022. She led Bangladesh to its first match win in T20 World Cups in 10 years when Bangladesh beat Scotland in the 2024 edition. While Bangladesh has been a consistently talented side, pulling off victories have been not been as frequent as the setup would like.
Nigar has 32 wins in 80 T20Is as captain for Bangladesh.
Her run as skipper of the Bangladesh side across the two white ball formats have not been without controversy.
Recently, there was frostiness between her and Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur when the pair did not shake hands at the toss in the Women’s Asia Cup in Dubai. There has been a longstanding feud with the duo going back to an ODI series in Bangladesh in 2023.
Harmanpreet had criticised the umpiring in an ODI game in Mirpur when ended as a tie. She even smashed the stumps on being dismissed. During the presentation ceremony, Harmanpreet reportedly called for the umpires to join too, suggesting they were in cahoots with the national side. Nigar is said to have had a stern word with the BCB officials present before leading her players back to the dressing room.
“It is totally her problem. I have nothing to do with it,” Nigar said in the press conference when asked about the incident. “As a player, she could have shown better manners. I can’t tell you what happened, but it didn’t feel right to be there (for the photograph) with my team. It wasn’t the right environment. That’s why we went back. Cricket is a game of discipline and respect.”
In 2025, Jahanara Alam accused Nigar of beating up junior cricketers saying a culture of abuse involving Nigar was longstanding within the national side. The BCB rejected the claims and questioned the timing and motive of Jahanara’s claims.
Published on Sep 15, 2026