Litton Das (Photo Source: Twitter)
Bangladesh opener Litton Das has been named captain of Bangladesh’s T20I side for their three-match series against the West Indies. This will be the first time Litton will lead the team for an entire series, having previously captained only one T20I against New Zealand in Auckland in April 2021.
With regular captain Najmul Hossain Shanto sidelined by a hamstring injury sustained during the Afghanistan series in November, Das has been handed the opportunity. Meanwhile, veteran allrounder Shakib Al Hasan’s future in international cricket remains uncertain, while Mahmudullah has retired from T20Is. The squad also sees some absentees, including Towhid Hridoy, Mustafizur Rahman, Shoriful Islam, and Rakibul Hasan.
The team has added several new faces with batting all-rounder Shamim Hossain making a comeback after last playing an international match in December 2023. Shamim has featured in his 14 T20I innings, scoring 254 runs at a strike rate of 115.98, with one half-century to his name.
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Litton has previously led Bangladesh in one T20I
Another addition is 21-year-old medium-fast bowler Ripon Mondol. He turned heads during the Asian Games in October 2023, taking four wickets in three matches and playing a crucial role in securing a bronze medal for Bangladesh.
The squad also features experienced players like Soumya Sarkar, who recently shone in Rangpur Riders’ Global Super League title victory, left-arm spinner Nasum Ahmed, fast bowler Hasan Mahmud, and middle-order batter Afif Hossain.
Das steps into the captaincy with minimum leadership experience, having previously captained Bangladesh in one Test, one T20I, and seven ODIs. While his leadership record is yet to be fully tested, his form with the bat will be crucial for Bangladesh’s performance. Litton scored 75 runs in two innings in his lone Test as captain but was dismissed for a golden duck in his only T20I as captain.