Published: 10:30 AM, 15 June 2026
Shakibset to make debut in Nordic Smash T20 Cup
Shakib Al Hasan will make his debut for the new team Uppsala Tigers' first match on Monday. -Agencies
A new chapter is about to begin in European cricket surrounding Bangladesh star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan. His team Uppsala Tigers will take to the field on Monday, to participate in Sweden's first franchise T20 tournament 'Nordic Smash T20 Cup 2026'.
Uppsala Tigers will face Stockholm United in the second match of the tournament. The match to be held in Stockholm will start at 9 pm Bangladesh time. This is Uppsala Tigers' first match in the current season and Shakib Al Hasan will make his debut for the new team in this match.
Six city-based teams are participating in the Nordic Smash T20 Cup to be held from June 15 to 20. This tournament is being seen as a groundbreaking initiative for Sweden, an associate member of the ICC. Each team will play five matches in a single round-robin format. After that, the top four teams in the points table will make it to the semi-finals.
Uppsala Tigers is the most talked about team in the inaugural edition. Because, former Bangladesh captain and world's best all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan has joined the team in a direct contract before the draft. With his presence, the team has become one of the attractions of the tournament.
Shakib is optimistic about this new journey. He said, my journey with Uppsala Tigers is starting through the England-based Bangladeshi club UK Bangla Tigers. We have built a very good team. I have experience playing with captain Mohammad Chowdhury before. He is a skilled team leader. I hope we can do something good in the Nordic Smash T20 Cup.
The team led by Captain Mohammad Chowdhury has a combination of multinational cricketers. In addition to Sweden, players from Austria, England, Belgium, South Africa, India and Italy are also in the squad. Apart from Shakib, the team includes Karanvir Singh, Wayne Gary Palmer, Shahriar Butt, Chad Potgitar, Raushan Singh, Jaspreet Singh, ArmaanRandhawa, JavedStanage, HumayunKabirJyoti and many others.
One of the attractions of the Nordic Smash T20 Cup is the participation of international stars. Along with Shakib, New Zealand's Tom Bruce and West Indies pacer Sheldon Cottrell will also play in this tournament. Former Indian World Cup-winning cricketer Munaf Patel is serving as the brand ambassador of the tournament.
However, the main purpose of this tournament is not only the presence of foreign stars. One of its goals is to give local cricketers in Sweden an opportunity to play with international players. The organizers hope that if this initiative is successful, it will become a model for other emerging cricketing countries in Europe to follow.
Meanwhile, cricket fans will have their eyes on Shakib Al Hasan. How this star all-rounder of Bangladesh performs in a new environment, a new franchise and a new chapter of cricket is going to be one of the biggest attractions of the tournament.
Squad: Mohammad Chowdhury (c), Shakib Al Hasan, Karanbir Singh, Owen Gary Palmer (wk), Shaheryar Butt, Chad Potgieter, Roushan Singh, Jaspreet Singh, ArmaanRandhawa, JawidStanigze, ChinthakaRajapakshaKarunasinghage, TasaduqHussain, LemarMomand, HumayunKabirJyoti, PrashantShukla, Qudratullah Mir Afzal, Hamid Mahmood, EssaFarooq.
