Shanto ruled out of Asia Cup with hamstring injury

Bangladesh received a massive blow after its top run-getter in the ongoing Asia Cup Najmul Hossain Shanto was ruled out of the tournament with a hamstring issue.

The left-hander, who scored 89 and 104 in the group games against Sri Lanka and Afghanistan respectively, felt some discomfort in his left hamstring during the course of his innings against Afghanistan in Lahore on Sunday. An MRI was performed on Monday of the affected area.

"The player had complained of hamstring pain during batting and could not field. We had an MRI scan done confirming a muscle tear," National Team Physio Bayjedul Islam Khan said.

"As a precaution, Shanto will not take part in the tournament any further and will be returning home to start rehab and prepare for the World Cup," he added.

Shanto and Mehidy Hasan Miraz who scored 112 runs, shared a 194-run partnership, batting in scorching heat in Lahore. While Shanto continued to bat, Miraz had to retire after feeling discomfort.

Miraz later came back to bowl and the team management said, he is okay enough to play the next match against Pakistan in Super Four.