Najmul Hossain Shanto Withdraws From Asian Games 2026 Due To Illness

Bangladesh will be without Najmul Hossain Shanto for the men’s cricket event at the Asian Games 2026 after the batter was ruled out with an illness.

Team physio Bayjedul Islam Khan confirmed on Monday that Shanto had been unwell since leaving Dhaka. He developed a fever during the journey and his condition later left him feeling weak.

The Bangladesh batter was then sent for blood tests to find out the cause of his illness. The results showed signs of an infection, although tests for both influenza and Covid-19 were negative.

"Shanto had a fever since his flight from Dhaka. It is a low-grade fever, but it has been going up and down till now," said Bangladesh team physio Bayjedul Islam.

"Fever has made him weak. He has undergone a blood test as it is now four days for the fever. He has some infection agents in his body, but otherwise he is negative for influenza and Covid-19," added Bayjedul Islam Khan.

Keeping Najmul Hossain Shanto’s current condition in mind, the management is certain that he won’t be able to recover in time for the key Asian Games matches. As a result, they have decided to send Shanto back to Bangladesh, so that he can get proper rest and recover quickly.

"He won't be able to recover in time for the end of the competition, so he won't be available for the entire event. That's why we are sending him home." said Bayjedul Islam Khan.

The update on Shanto’s absence comes just before Bangladesh begin their Asian Games 2026 campaign. They will face Group B winners Malaysia in the quarter-final at Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin.

For the unversed, the Tigers did not have to play the earlier stages of the competition. Their ranking placed them among the four teams that went straight into the quarter-finals, along with Pakistan, Sri Lanka and India.