James Neesham has decided to stick around in Bangladesh for the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League (BPL 2026) season. Initially, he was set to join the New Zealand cricket team for a series of five T20I matches in India, scheduled between January 21 and January 31. 

This series in India serves as New Zealand’s final practice run before the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 kicks off next month in India and Sri Lanka. On January 19, Hannan Sarkar, the head coach of Neesham’s team, the Rajshahi Warriors, confirmed that the all-rounder has chosen to remain in Bangladesh for the BPL 2025-26 season, turning down the opportunity to tour India with his national team. 

Just a couple of days before New Zealand's T20I series in India was set to begin, Hannan Sarkar took to social media to announce that James Neesham will continue his journey in the BPL 2025-26 season. Sarkar mentioned that Neesham himself expressed a strong preference for staying in Bangladesh, prioritizing the T20 league over representing New Zealand in India, especially with the T20 World Cup looming. 

The coach also suggested that Neesham might not have made the same choice if he were playing for a different franchise in the BPL 2025-26 season. This decision is not just a significant boost for the Rajshahi Warriors, but it also brings good news for the entire BPL ecosystem and Bangladesh cricket as a whole. 

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It’s important to note that New Zealand Cricket (NZC) had included Neesham in their 15-player squad for the upcoming T20I series in India. The last time he played for New Zealand was back in November during a match against the West Indies in Dunedin. As of now, NZC has yet to release an official statement regarding James Neesham's absence.

James Neesham has only played four matches in the BPL 2025-26 season so far, out of his team's 10 league games. In those four innings, he has managed to take three wickets, but his bowling average sits at a rather high 31.66. When it comes to batting, the left-handed player has only scored 30 runs, resulting in a disappointing average of 10 and a strike rate of 107.14 

Despite his struggles, the Rajshahi Warriors have performed well, finishing the league stage of the BPL 2025-26 season at the top of the six-team points table with an impressive eight wins out of 10 matches, boasting a solid net run rate of 0.335. 

Now, James Neesham and his Rajshahi Warriors teammates are gearing up to face the Chattogram Royals in the first qualifier of the BPL 2025-26 season. This exciting match is set to take place at the Sher-e Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur on Tuesday, January 20, starting at 5:30 PM IST.