For the forthcoming two-match T20I series against Bangladesh, which will take place in Sharjah on May 17 and 19, UAE’s Muhammad Waseem has been reappointed as captain. After leaving the T20I captaincy in October 2024 to concentrate on his ODI batting, Waseem will be returning to leadership responsibilities.
Muhammad Waseem appointment coincides with the UAE’s first Twenty20 International match since they defeated Kuwait in the final to win the Gulf T20 Championship in December 2024.
Since his debut in 2021, the seasoned opener has led the national team in 26 Twenty20 Internationals and is the format’s top run scorer worldwide. Waseem’s presence is still crucial for the team even though his form has recently declined, as he has only scored one ODI fifty in the last two years and failed to get a half-century in the 2025 ILT20.
At the time, Waseem stated, “I have decided to step down as captain to concentrate on my batting in the ODI format,” according to ESPNcricinfo.
The hosts, however, are coming off a poor showing in the Cricket World Cup League 2 in the Netherlands, losing two of their five games against Scotland and the Netherlands. With a century from replacement captain Rahul Chopra and a four-wicket haul from left-arm spinner Simranjeet Singh, they managed their only victory over Scotland. Chopra and Singh are among the 15 players selected for the Bangladesh series. As the UAE gets ready for future games, these contests will be crucial.
The series will be Bangladesh’s last encounter before a five-match Twenty20 International series in Pakistan. The team has already left in two groups, with veteran batsman Najmul Hossain Shanto, captain Liton Das, and vice-captain Mahedi Hasan making up the second group. Liton’s first task as a full-time T20I skipper will be this. In their most recent meeting, which took place in Dubai in September 2022, Bangladesh emerged victorious in both games.
UAE’s T20I team for the series against Bangladesh
Muhammad Waseem (C), Rahul Chopra (wk), Saghir Khan, Sanchit Sharma, Simranjeet Singh, Alishan Sharafu, Aryansh Sharma, Asif Khan, Dhruv Parashar, Ethan D’ Souza, Haider Ali, Matiullah Khan, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Zohaib, Muhammad Zuhaib
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