Bangladesh star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan signed for LA Knight Riders for the upcoming season of the Major League Cricket (MLC) in the USA, starting on July 5.

Bangladesh are going into the upcoming T20 World Cup with quite a few young guns in the squad, led by a young skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto. But it is two of their veterans -- Mahmudullah Riyad and Shakib Al Hasan -- who could give the side a lift with their experience in the USA and the West Indies.

“In T20 Cricket, yes, batting order will be changing. That's just normal cricket," said the Bangladesh head coach.

Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto hoped that the younger players perform well to honour two veterans – Shakib Al Hasan and Mahmudullah Riyad, in the upcoming T20 World Cup in the USA and the West Indies.

The race to be the No.1 ranked all-rounder at the start of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup has further intensified as two players share top billing following the latest update to the ICC Men's T20 Player Rankings.

Bangladesh’s Shakib Al Hasan is hot on Rohit’s heels, as the all-rounder has played 36 matches in eight T20 World Cup appearances.

Shakib is currently sitting on 47 wickets in 36 matches in T20 World Cups and is the only active cricketer among the top five wicket-taker’s list in the competition.

India have already named their World Cup squad with Rohit as their skipper. The Tigers, however, are yet to announce their 15-member squad but Shakib is expected to walk into the side if he remains fit.

The Tigers are yet to announce their 15-member squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup, and should Shakib be selected, he would join Rohit as the only players to have competed in every T20 World Cup, sharing that honour.

Bangladesh pacer Taskin Ahmed said his side does not get enough credit for winning matches when they beat ‘’small’’ sides. 

After Bangladesh took an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match Twenty20 International series against Zimbabwe, opener Parvez Hossain Emon and batter Afif Hossain were eventually left out of the Tigers’ squad for the last two T20Is, to be played in Dhaka, without having played a game.

Shakib Al Hasan, Soumya Sarkar and Mustafizur Rahman were called up for the last two Twenty20 Internationals against Zimbabwe, which will be played in Mirpur on May 10 and 12.

Shakib Al Hasan's remarks that playing Zimbabwe in a T20 series was not adequate preparation for upcoming the T20 World Cup had caused quite a bit of stir.

Ace all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan, who is yet to take part in the T20I series as he prioritised playing in the Dhaka Premier League (DPL) first to get back into rhythm, had highlighted on Saturday that playing Zimbabwe was not ideal preparations.

Shakib Al Hasan raised both hands in the air, but his celebration was a little muted for someone who struck his first ton in five years, during a Dhaka Premier League match for Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club against Gazi Group Cricketers at BKSP Ground 4 on Friday.

Shakib, playing his 307th List A match, reached three figures in 73 deliveries.

“We have included Afif Hossain. As Shakib is not in the squad for the first three matches, we have picked Afif in his place,”

Bangladesh star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan put an end to speculations about his availability in the upcoming five-match T20I series against Zimbabwe at home, reassuring that he will indeed play the series. 

“Shakib will return to Bangladesh by the end of this month. There is a possibility of him playing one or two matches in the DPL. Then he will join the team,” Lipu told the reporters in Mirpur today

“This many people usually don’t turn up to see a fitness test at six in the morning. I’m sure they are here because it’s happening at the Bangabandhu [National] Stadium,” said Shahriar Nafees, the current cricket operations manager, after the national team’s fitness test at the famed venue yesterday.