Stuck between form and fate: Soumya’s curious case

Bangladesh batter Soumya Sarkar looked in sublime touch during yesterday afternoon’s practice session at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur, timing the ball sweetly in the nets alongside Afif Hossain and Saif Hassan.

Ironically, his chances of featuring in the upcoming New Zealand ODI series appear slimmer than those around him, despite looking the more assured in training.

On March 14, the eve of the third ODI against Pakistan, Soumya shared a social media post that seemed to capture the essence of his career. The image -- of him waiting on the sidelines -- reflected a familiar sense of isolation, a recurring theme in an otherwise promising journey.

More than a decade on from his ODI debut in 2014, Soumya’s career continues to defy easy explanation. In 79 ODIs, he has produced flashes of brilliance, including a match-winning knock in a series-deciding game against West Indies last year – an innings that hinted at a long-awaited resurgence. Yet, the cycle of resurgence and omission appears to have returned once more.

At times, however, Soumya has also made life difficult for himself. Even when opportunities have come, the left-hander has not always done justice to them, often throwing away promising starts with questionable shot selection or uncalled-for aggression -- a pattern that has further complicated his case.

Ahead of the New Zealand series, despite being in the squad, opportunities remain uncertain. Head coach Phil Simmons made the situation clear on Wednesday.

“He [Soumya] missed a lot of cricket between West Indies, during BPL and leading up to BCL. So we had to make that choice and unfortunately for him, they [Tanzid Tamim and Saif Hassan] did well, so he has to keep pushing to get back there,” Simmons said.

A day before the first ODI, skipper Mehidy Hasan Miraz echoed a similar sentiment, pointing to the recency of form among the current opening options.

“The thing you said about adequate opportunities… for a batter, form is very important and in the last series, this opening partnership [between Tamim and Saif] gave us a 100-plus stand,” Miraz said.

He added that players are being given opportunities to settle within the team environment -- something Soumya is currently experiencing from the sidelines.

The numbers further underline the uncertainty surrounding his career. Since his debut, Bangladesh have played 165 ODIs, but Soumya has featured in just 79. Since the 2019 World Cup, that disparity has widened – 27 appearances for him in 88 matches.

Those close to the team setup believe misfortune has also played a part. An ACL injury sustained against Sri Lanka in Chattogram disrupted his momentum, while conditions have often dictated his effectiveness.

“Every batter plays well when the ball comes nicely onto the bat. But on surfaces with uneven bounce, many struggle to adapt,” a former team management member had observed, adding that Soumya tends to be “a lot more lively” in conditions like New Zealand or Australia.

Now 33, Soumya may still have one last shot at the 2027 World Cup. But the familiar pattern – breaking in, only to make way again -- continues to define his career.

Despite glimpses of his old fluency, forcing the door open has rarely been straightforward. For Soumya, the puzzle remains the same -- form and opportunity, still not quite aligning.