Bangladesh cricket
Bangladesh v New Zealand 2026: venues, ODI squad and what stands out
Bangladesh's April-May 2026 home series against New Zealand now has confirmed venues, confirmed ODI dates, a named Bangladesh squad for the first two ODIs, and one notable New Zealand injury replacement.
The verified outline is now clear. ICC confirmed on 16 March 2026 that Bangladesh and New Zealand will play three ODIs and three T20Is across Dhaka and Chattogram. ICC then reported on 12 April that Bangladesh retained the same 15-player ODI squad that beat Pakistan 2-1, with Mehidy Hasan Miraz continuing as captain. New Zealand's side also changed shortly before the tour, with NZC confirming on 10 April that Ben Lister replaced the injured Kristian Clarke.
The verified schedule
According to ICC's tour announcement, the first two ODIs are in Mirpur, Dhaka, on 17 and 20 April. The third ODI moves to Chattogram on 23 April. The T20I leg then starts in Chattogram on 27 and 29 April before returning to Mirpur for the final match on 2 May.
That split matters because it gives the ODI leg a Dhaka-first shape before the series opens out geographically. It also means both cities carry meaningful weight in the tour rather than serving as token secondary stops.
Bangladesh kept the ODI group unchanged
ICC's 12 April squad report says Bangladesh named the same 15-player ODI group that secured a 2-1 home series win over Pakistan the previous month. Mehidy Hasan Miraz remains captain, and the pace options listed are Nahid Rana, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman and Shoriful Islam.
That is the main selection signal here. Bangladesh are not using the New Zealand series to reset the ODI side. They are starting from continuity, not experimentation.
New Zealand arrive with one late change
Earlier, ICC reported that New Zealand would tour with Tom Latham leading both white-ball squads in Mitchell Santner's absence, with recalled quicks such as Will O'Rourke and Blair Tickner included. But NZC later confirmed a practical late adjustment: Ben Lister replaced Kristian Clarke after Clarke suffered a hand injury while with New Zealand A in Sri Lanka.
NZC also said Lister would join the squad in Bangladesh ahead of the ODI series, while Ben Sears would miss the ODI leg and instead link up for the T20Is. So while the overall tour structure stayed intact, the pace resources changed close to departure.
What stands out
Bangladesh chose continuity
The same ODI squad that beat Pakistan carries into this series. That is a direct sign of trust in the current group.
The tour is split cleanly by format
Dhaka dominates the ODI start, while Chattogram carries more of the early T20 work. The schedule has a clear shape.
New Zealand's pace mix is still moving
The late injury replacement does not change the fixtures, but it does affect the balance of their white-ball resources.
Summary
Three things are firmly verified: the six-match schedule across Dhaka and Chattogram, Bangladesh's unchanged ODI squad under Mehidy Hasan Miraz, and Ben Lister's late call-up for New Zealand after Kristian Clarke's injury. The key reading from those updates is straightforward: Bangladesh are entering the ODI leg with continuity and recent momentum, while New Zealand arrive with a settled framework but not a completely untouched pace group.