A new era is on the horizon for Bangladesh as they lay the groundwork for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, which began with the appointment of Litton Das as T20I captain.Ahead of his first assignment, the 30-year-old laid out a clear and pragmatic vision for the team, focused not on a rigid style but on adapting to match situations."I am not going to talk about a particular brand of cricket. We might need to chase 180-200 in some games, and 140-145 in other games. The ultimate goal is to win the game," Litton said while speaking at a press conference on the eve of Bangladesh's first T20I against UAE.
The new leader of the Tigers emphasised flexibility and match awareness, stressing the fact that a batter’s role could change on a game-to-game basis, an ICC report said."A batter might need to score 40 off 20 balls in one game, and 15 off 20 in the next game. I want every player to be involved in the game,” Das said.“What the team needs from me, is what the players must understand. It is more important for the player to know how to win a game, rather than stick to a brand of cricket,” he said."For the Bangladesh team to go ahead, the players have to perform. They have to play their specific roles. I have to communicate well with the players. The more time I get, the more I'll get involved in team matters," Das said.
Das is no stranger to captaincy, having stepped in for Najmul Hossain Shanto during the tour of the West Indies last December, where he guided Bangladesh to a 3-0 series sweep. The 30-year-old
has already led the side in one Test, seven ODIs and four T20Is.Litton has the full backing as he leads Bangladesh into a new era of T20I cricket. Ahead of the team's departure to the UAE, assistant coach Mohammad Salahuddin was full of praise for the newly appointed skipper.
“I think Litton has all the ingredients of a good captain, " Salahuddin said. "He can motivate the players. He is good with strategy. He is trying to take it forward. I think he will do well if allowed to work independently. You can't just make a leader.""We must realise that he is the captain of Bangladesh, which for us stands for the whole country. Leading Bangladesh is a very difficult job, although it may seem easy from the outside,” he said.
Bangladesh had been in search of their next T20I captain following Najmul Hossain Shanto’s decision to step down in January. That search concluded with Litton being appointed skipper and Mahedi Hasan named vice-captain as part of the squad announcement for the team’s upcoming tours.Bangladesh have a busy schedule in the lead-up to the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, with series lined up against the UAE, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and India as they build towards the marquee event.The Tigers are leaving no stone unturned in their preparations, highlighted by the recent appointment of former Australia pacer Shaun Tait as their new fast bowling coach.(UNI)
