Mehidy Hasan Miraz is eyeing a climb up the ICC ODI rankings ahead of a big ODI year in 2026, when Bangladesh are scheduled to play as many as 20 matches, reports the Daily Sun.
Bangladesh, who are currently ranked 10th in the ICC ODI standings, played nine bilateral ODI matches in 2025, winning only three of them. To secure direct qualification for the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa, Bangladesh needs to return to the top eight of the ICC ODI rankings.
Miraz is hopeful of achieving that target in 2026.
“If I summarise 2025, you’ll see that we didn’t actually play many ODI matches — we played on and off. In 2026, however, we have a lot of matches and back-to-back series,” Miraz told reporters on Monday while promoting the Cricketers Welfare Association of Bangladesh’s (CWAB) All-Stars match to commemorate Victory Day in Bangladesh on December 16.
“So I think it’s very important, and our current ranking is also very important, because staying within the top eight is crucial ahead of the World Cup. So 2026 is a very, very important year for me,’’ he said.
“And since there will be a lot more ODI matches, along with Tests and T20Is as well, I think players will be able to set their mindset accordingly — especially in terms of how to play in ODIs,” he explained.
Bd-Pratidin English/ AM
