Opener Mohammad Naim made an expected comeback following his consistent performance in the domestic circuit as Bangladesh Cricket Board announced a 16-member team for the three-match One Day International series against Sri Lanka Monday.
Naim had scored 618 runs at an average of 61.8 and a strike rate of 121.89 in the last season of the Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League.
Naim, who last played for Bangladesh in 2023 during an ODI match against Sri Lanka in Colombo, was a regular performer in the DPL, having crossed 600-plus runs in the last three seasons in a row.
The selection panel, led by Gazi Ashraf Hossain Lipu, considered Taskin Ahmed after he was deemed fully fit to play.
Taskin has not been with the national team since his last match against New Zealand in the Champions Trophy in February due to his injury.
The Champions Trophy, which was held in Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates, was Bangladesh's last assignment in this format.
Bangladesh included pacer Hasan Mahmud in the ODI side after he was not considered for the Champions Trophy squad.
Hasan last played an ODI against the West Indies in December last year.
"We have included five fast bowlers in the ODI side as we have Mustafizur Rahman and Taskin returning from injuries," Ashraf said.
"We are also mindful of Nahid Rana's workload management, so we have kept enough options to choose from."
Wicketkeeper-batter Liton Das, middle-order batter Shamim Hossain Patwari and left-arm spinner Tanvir Islam returned to the fold after failing to get a place in the Champions Trophy squad.
"Liton Das was in a bad patch but time is the best healer. He is the Twenty20 captain, so we can consider him till the next T20 World Cup," Ashraf said.
"If someone has to return to form, it is best to spend a long time in the middle. We feel that Liton can take his form from ODIs to T20Is."
Soumya Sarkar and Nasum Ahmed were excluded while the two veterans - Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah - who were integral members of the squad during the Champions Trophy, had already retired from this format.
Mushfiq, however, is still playing the Test format.
Colombo will host Bangladesh's first two ODIs against Sri Lanka on July 2 and 5 before the third and final ODI takes place at Pallekele on July 8.
All of the matches are day-night affairs and will start at 3pm Bangladesh time.
The ODI series will be followed by a three-match T20 International series.
Bangladesh last played an ODI series against Sri Lanka in 2019.
Sri Lanka swept the three-match series with ease.
Bangladesh played two more ODIs against Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup, held in 2023 and lost those two games also.
Bangladesh have not won any of their last six games on Sri Lankan soil.
Squad: Mehedi Hasan Miraz (captain), Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Parvez Hossain Emon, Mohammad Naim, Nazmul Hossain Shanto, Towhid Hridoy, Liton Das, Jaker Ali Anik, Shamim Hossain Patwari, Rishad Hossain, Tanvir Islam, Mustafizur Rahman, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Taskin Ahmed, Nahid Rana, Hasan Mahmud
