DHAKA, Sept 7, 2026 (BSS) - Najmul Hossain Shanto's return to Bangladesh's T20 squad after more than a year is part of a plan to add experience and stability to the batting lineup ahead of the T20 World Cup, national team coach Mohammad Salahuddin said.

Shanto was named in Bangladesh's 15-member squad for the Asian Games, having last played a T20 international against the United Arab Emirates in May 2025.

Although his inclusion came as a surprise to some, Salahuddin said the decision was based on Shanto's standing among Bangladesh's leading cricketers and his experience in the shortest format.

"Only the top 15 players of Bangladesh will play. Now, who came and who left is not a big deal. The point is that our top 15 players will play. Everyone thinks that Shanto is one of the top 15 players. We took him that way," Salahuddin told reporters after an exchange of views with Asian Games-bound athletes at the Olympic Building in the city today.

The coach also dismissed concerns over Shanto's extended absence from T20 internationals, saying the left-handed batter has enough experience to adjust quickly.

"He is not a new player in T20. When he played the last T20, he did not play badly either. He has many centuries, including in the BPL. I think he will have no problem adjusting to this format," he said.

Salahuddin said Shanto's return could also give Bangladesh an experienced batting option ahead of the T20 World Cup.

"I hope we will play an experienced batter in the T20 World Cup," he said.

Bangladesh are sending a near full-strength squad to the Asian Games after initially considering an HP team for the tournament.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board changed its plans after India, Pakistan and other teams indicated they would field strong squads.

"Initially, our High Performance (HP) team was supposed to go. But when we saw that other countries were also sending their entire national teams, we thought, why shouldn't we send them there?" Salahuddin said.