Agency :
Once a regular across all three formats for Bangladesh, Soumya Sarkar has recently become a less familiar face in red-ball cricket. While he continues to feature in limited-overs formats, Soumya is now aiming for a return to the longer version of the game, according to Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) coach Sohel Islam.
Soumya last played a first-class match in the National Cricket League (NCL) in October last year. His most recent appearance in Test cricket came back in 2021, during a home series against the West Indies. However, Sohel Islam has revealed that Soumya is now actively planning to revive his red-ball career.
“As you know, Soumya was playing in the GSL League. When we were working on red-ball cricket training, he had just returned, and we had already moved on to white-ball sessions. As a player, no one wants to limit themselves to a single format. Soumya himself is interested in playing red-ball cricket again, and he has both the skills and capability-he’s played Tests before,” speaking to the media, Sohel said.
Highlighting the contrast between formats, the coach explained that red-ball cricket demands more patience and mental resilience compared to limited-overs games, where players often focus more on singles and boundaries.
“Everyone wants to play in all formats. As you know, there are significant differences between red-ball and white-ball cricket. Batting technique, mindset, match planning, and shot selection all vary between formats.
