The Bangladesh cricket team is known for its fighting spirit. A nation, that every now and then produces a talent of high quality. Although the team has not won any major trophy, every team knows what they are capable of. On any given day, they can upset their opponents. The nation first played a test match in 2000 /01 against India at home. Since then, the team has had both ups and downs. They have had moments to cherish and to forget as well. After becoming a test-playing nation, the team has had 12 captains. Here we look at the top 10 skippers with the most runs for the country.
1. Mushfiqur Rahim
Mushfiqur Rahim, born in Bogra is a wicket-keeper batsman who plays for Bangladesh in the ODI and Test format. The 36-year-old has been a captain for the nation for six years. He led the team from 2011-2017 and played a dual role while keeping the wickets. Batting in the middle order, Rahim scored 2321 runs in 34 matches at an average of 41.45. He remains one of the best players Bangladesh has ever produced and a batter who could win the game in any possible situation.
2. Shakib Al Hassan
The left-arm orthodox spinner and middle-order batter for Bangladesh is one of the best all-rounders in the world of cricket. His experience as a player for his nation is immense and so is his ability to lead the team. Shakib was appointed as the Test skipper in 2009. He last led the team in 2023 after Mominul Haque decided to step down from captaincy. The southpaw who has played some match-defining knocks has scored 1259 test runs as captain of the team. His batting average while leading the team is 35.97 in just 19 matches.
3. Habibul Bashar
Habibul Bashar will be remembered as one of the greats when it comes to the test captains of the country. Under his captaincy tenure, the team challenged world cricket bravely. He was appointed as the captain in 2004. As a captain, he scored 1044 runs at an average of 29.83. His tenure as the leader of the team came to an end after Md. Ashraful was chosen for the job in 2007. He announced his retirement from all formats after playing the 2009/10 domestic season.
4. Mominul Haque
Mominul Haque is a former Bangladesh test captain who left the captaincy in 2022. He made his test debut against Sri Lanka in Galle in 2013. He led the country for three years in test cricket from 2019 – 2022 in 17 matches. A top-order left-handed batter is always a treat to watch. Mominul scored 912 runs at an average of 31.45 as a captain before handing over the duties to his teammate Shakib in 2022.
5. Mohammad Ashraful
Mohammad Ashraful was an exciting cricketer when he first arrived on the international scene. He scored a century against the likes of Muralitharan in the test format at the immature age of just 17. He still holds the record for the youngest batter to score a test ton. Ashraful captained the team for nearly two years from 2007-2009. In those thirteen matches, he scored 542 runs at an average of 22.58. Unfortunately, his inconsistency led to his downfall. Ashraful was unfortunately involved in spot-fixing in 2013 which led to his downfall.
6. Mahmmudullah
Mahmudullah is an all-rounder who has been one of the most important players for his team. He started his career as an off-break bowler and later acquired batting skills. He is one of the pillars of Bangladesh because of his match-winning ability. He first played a test match in 2009 against the West Indies. The all-rounder was appointed as the captain in 2018 and led the team in six matches. As a batter during his captaincy tenure, he scored 535 runs at an impressive average of 59.44. He shocked the world by announcing his test retirement last year in 2022.
7. Khaled Mashud
The successor of Naimur Rahman in terms of captaincy in tests for Bangladesh, Khaled Mashud, was a wicket-keeper batsman. He was a fearless batsman and an integral part of the team from 1995-2007. After being appointed as the captain in 2001, he offered his services for twelve matches. At an average of 20.26, the batter scored 385 runs as captain in the longest format of the game before announcing retirement in 2008.
8. Naimur Rahman
The first-ever test captain for Bangladesh was Naimur Rahman. Born in Dhaka, he was a middle-order batsman and an off-break bowler. In Bangladesh’s inaugural test match against India, he took six wickets including the wicket of the great Sachin Tendulkar. He captained the team for nearly one year and scored 204 runs at an average of 15. 69. He led his team in the longest format for seven matches before playing his last game in 2002.
9. Khaled Mahmud
Interesting how a player of the exact full name Khaled Mashud, replaced him as a test captain in 2004. Khaled Mahmud was born in Dhaka and represented his side as an all-rounder. After being appointed as the skipper, he scored 201 runs at an average of 11.82. A captain, who always had an intent of leading by example was also a determined batsman and had bowling skills that could surprise any batter. The right-handed batter retired in 2006 after playing his last game against Sri Lanka.
10. Litton Das
Litton Das is a top-order batsman for Bangladesh in all three formats. He is also a wicketkeeper and was a part of the 2012 and 2014 Under-19 cricket World Cup. Das made his test debut against India and played some good shots. The batter, who made the statement early on in his career is now a regular inclusion in the squad across formats. He has led his team in the tests only once in 2023. His runs and average as captain is 75. Litton is the perfect leader for the future who likes to lead by example.
