Captaincy is one of the most essential components of cricket, and only a person with the right skills and qualities can manage it. We had seen several teams perform and flourish on the world stage when they had the right leader to lead them. Bangladesh, as a cricketing nation, has progressed dramatically in recent years, and all of this is because of the competent captains it has had. This article summarizes the Bangladeshi cricketers who have captained the most One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and their respective records as captains in this format.
1. Mashrafe Mortaza (88 Matches)
Mashrafe Mortaza, one of Bangladesh’s most successful captains and a brilliant all-rounder, is the first to feature on the list. He represented Bangladesh in ODIs from 2001 to 2020 in 220 matches. Mashrafe was the captain of the ODI team from 2010 to 2020 in 88 matches, winning 50, losing 36, and two matches resulting in no result.
2. Habibul Bashar (69 Matches)
Habibul Bashar was a right-handed top-order batter and a typical orthodox player who played proper cricketing shots. From 2004 to 2007, he captained the Bangladesh ODI team in 69 matches. The team won 29 and lost 40 matches under his captaincy before he was sacked as the captain in 2007 due to his inconsistent performances.
3. Shakib-al-Hasan (50 Matches)
Shakib-al-Hasan, one of the world’s best all-rounders at present, is next to feature on the list. Shakib is a right-handed batter and a left-arm orthodox bowler. He captained Bangladesh’s ODI team in 50 matches from 2009 to 2017 and won 23, lost 26, and one game resulted in no result.
4. Mohammad Ashraful (38 Matches)
Mohammad Ashraful is widely regarded as one of the most gifted and naturally talented cricketers in Bangladesh's cricket history. However, he could never capitalize on his talent as he was found guilty of match-fixing and spot-fixing charges. He captained the ODI team in 38 matches, winning eight and losing 30.
5. Mushfiqur Rahim (37 Matches)
It would be incorrect to talk about Bangladesh cricket and not mention Mushfiqur Rahim. He is Bangladesh’s second highest run scorer in ODIs and a wicketkeeper par excellence. From 2011 to 2014, he captained the ODI team in 37 matches, winning 11, losing 24, and two games resulting in no result.
6. Khaled Mashud (30 Matches)
Next on the list is Khaled Mashud, a right-handed middle-order wicketkeeper batter. He was Bangladesh’s captain in the 50-over format from 2001 to 2006, in a total of 30 matches. The team, however, could win only four games under his captaincy, losing 24 and two games resulting in no result.
7. Tamim Iqbal (27 Matches)
Tamim Iqbal is a left-handed opening batter and Bangladesh’s current ODI captain. Tamim is Bangladesh’s highest run scorer in ODIs and their most successful opening batter. So far, he has been the captain in 27 ODIs and has won 16 and lost 11 matches, with a win percentage of 59.25, the highest for any Bangladeshi captain in ODIs.
8. Aminul Islam (16 Matches)
Next, we have Aminul Islam, a right-handed middle-order batter from Dacca. Aminul was the captain of the ODI team from 1998 to 2000 in 16 matches. He also led Bangladesh in the 1999 World Cup, where Bangladesh beat Scotland and Pakistan. However, the team could win only two matches under his captaincy, losing 14.
9. Akram Khan (15 Matches)
Akram Khan is a former right-handed middle-order batter from Chittagong. He was one of the key members of the Bangladesh ODI team in the 1990s. Akram also captained the team in 15 ODIs from 1995 to 1998 but could win only one game, losing the other 14.
10. Khaled Mahmud (15 Matches)
Khaled Mahmud was a right-handed batter and a right-arm medium-pace bowler. In 1998, he made his One-Day International debut against India in Dhaka. Khaled was the captain of the ODI team in 15 matches but could never win an ODI as a captain. He stepped down as captain in 2006 after announcing his retirement from cricket.