Bangladesh head coach Chandika Hathurusingha was all praise for stand-in skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto, stating that the cricketer has shown great positivity in his leadership skills.

Bangladesh team were in a festive mood in Napier, having spent a two-day Christmas break ahead of their three-match T20I series against hosts New Zealand starting tomorrow with the first game at McLean Park.

New Zealand skipper Tom Latham said his side 'were completely outplayed' by Bangladesh following a nine-wicket defeat in the third and final ODI of the three-match series in Napier on Saturday.

Bangladesh’s first-ever ODI win over New Zealand in their own backyard was set up by some incredible fast bowling in Napier on Saturday.

Where would Soumya Sarkar be in the next game had he made another poor score, not the 169, against New Zealand in Nelson yesterday? That is the poignant question involving Bangladesh's cricket, viewed through Soumya as the prism.

Following a 44-run defeat (via DLS) in a rain-curtailed first ODI, Bangladesh will be eyeing to come up with a different approach and must look to form a well-balanced playing eleven in order to save the series when they take on New Zealand in the second ODI of the three-match series at Saxton Oval in Nelson on Wednesday.

The visitors will need 245 runs to win owing to the adjusted total by the DLS method.

New Zealand have a number of fresh faces for the upcoming home ODI series against Bangladesh. Their squad for the three-game series has four players – Adithya Ashok, Will O’Rourke, Ben Sears, and Josh Clarkson – with no experience at the ODI level. Of these, Ashok and Sears have represented the Black Caps in T20Is.

Bangladesh are set for a steep challenge in trying conditions in New Zealand as their white-ball tour against the 2023 World Cup semifinalists begins with the first of three ODIs at the University Oval in Dunedin on Sunday (Bangladesh time 4:00 am).

New Zealand's Rachin Ravindra did not exactly hit the ground running on his international breakout but went on to become one of the standout performers in his debut World Cup, setting records in his own way. The 24-year-old had a quiet tour of Bangladesh, not getting a game in the Test series but he has been keeping a keen eye on things. As he spoke with Abdullah Al Mehdi of The Daily Star after the recently concluded second Test, he discussed the Kiwi side's atmosphere, a terrific maiden World Cup, the Mirpur wicket, and more.

Taijul Islam, who spun Bangladesh to their maiden home Test win over New Zealand in Sylhet, spoke with The Daily Star's Mazhar Uddin, where he opened up about his views on getting overshadowed by his more prominent teammates and gave his two cents about the use of home advantage in home Tests. The excerpts are given below:

Bangladesh spinner Taijul Islam seemed to have had it with questions regarding fellow left-arm orthodox Shakib Al Hasan. 

What is home advantage for Bangladesh? The question has been one of the more acute ones in Bangladesh's Test cricket in the last few years as the team has failed to yield such advantage at home – an outcome pointing to a lack of long-term vision.

A gulf in the cricketing culture separating Bangladesh and a top Test side like New Zealand was once again showcased by how the two captains remarked about the Mirpur pitch, which staged the just-concluded second and final Test between the two sides.

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Nazmul Hassan Papon claimed that the rank turners as well as the low and slow that the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur boasts do not favour the home side.

Bangladesh let slip a chance to win their maiden Test series against New Zealand after succumbing to a four-wicket defeat in the second Test in Mirpur.  

Thanks to him, New Zealand added 134 runs in 24.3 overs on the day before losing their remaining five wickets, earning an eight-run lead.

When New Zealand spinner Mitchell Santner was asked in the press conference after the opening day of the second Test in Dhaka between Bangladesh and New Zealand f the match would progress beyond three days, he couldn't help but laugh.

New Zealand faced the music on a rank turner in Mirpur as they struggled on 55 for five at stumps, in reply to Bangladesh’s first innings total of 172 on Day 1 of the second Test at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium on Wednesday. 

Bangladesh left-arm spinner Taijul Islam jumped four places to a career-best 14th in the ICC Test Bowlers’ Rankings after his 10-wicket haul and Player of the Match heroics against New Zealand in the first of the two-match series.