Despite scoring just one fifty in his last 24 T20Is, Liton Das has been named captain of the Bangladesh T20 team for the upcoming World Cup. In a surprise move, Sheikh Mehedi Hasan has been appointed vice-captain.
During Najmul Hossain Shanto’s time as T20 captain, his poor batting form was a constant concern. Now, similar questions surround Liton Das, whose own T20 performances have been far from convincing. Yet, his appointment doesn’t come as a shock. What did surprise many, however, was the decision to name Sheikh Mehedi Hasan as his deputy — a move that raised eyebrows. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has offered explanations for both choices.
Earlier this year, BCB President Nazmul Hassan confirmed that Shanto had informed him of his decision to step down from T20 captaincy. Since there were no T20 matches scheduled at the time, the board didn’t rush to find a replacement. But ahead of upcoming tours to the UAE and Pakistan, BCB finally made it official: Liton Das is the new captain.
He will lead the side through to the next T20 World Cup, set for February-March next year in India and Sri Lanka. Over the years, Liton has captained Bangladesh in various formats on a temporary basis with some success. Under his leadership, Bangladesh crushed Afghanistan in a one-off Test in 2023, and he also led the team to an ODI series win against India in 2022.
More recently, Liton captained the T20 side in December when Shanto was sidelined with injury, guiding the team to a 3-0 whitewash over the West Indies on their home turf.
While his leadership skills have shown promise on the field, questions about his consistency with the bat continue to follow him. The fact remains: he has only one half-century in his last 24 T20 innings.
Nazmul Abedin, head of BCB’s cricket operations, acknowledged that more than confidence, it’s hope that fuels their belief in Liton:
“Experience is a major factor for us. Right now, we don’t have many experienced players. We’ve discussed Liton — his performances and potential. We believe that if he can find his rhythm, he could be a great asset to the team,” he said.
“Everyone has a positive opinion about his captaincy. Even the technically sound people admire his leadership qualities. But performance is still vital — especially his batting. If he can bring that together, Liton could become a core strength of this team.”
Given the lack of alternatives, there wasn’t much debate over Liton’s selection. However, Sheikh Mehedi’s appointment came out of nowhere. He hasn’t been seen as part of any leadership group in domestic cricket, let alone at the international level. So, naming him vice-captain came as a surprise.
Unlike Liton, Sheikh Mehedi’s role as vice-captain is temporary — just for the next two series. According to Nazmul Abedin, the board might rotate this position to test different players ahead of the World Cup.
“There aren’t many experienced players in the squad right now. But Sheikh Mehedi has become somewhat of an automatic pick in T20s. He’s tactically aware — we’ve seen that, and the selectors and coaches have noticed it too. We feel this is the right time to give him a chance and see how he handles the role,” he explained.
“We’ve only announced this vice-captaincy for the upcoming tours. Our plan is to test a few players in this role and possibly develop someone alongside the captain. Maybe two or three players will get a shot — and one of them might eventually emerge as the permanent choice.”
While Bangladesh now has a T20 captain and vice-captain, the other two formats still lack full-time leaders. Ahead of the recent Zimbabwe series, Shanto himself mentioned that his captaincy was only for that series.
Nazmul Abedin confirmed that permanent appointments for the ODI and Test formats will be made soon:
“We plan to go with long-term captains for both ODIs and Tests. We’ve already discussed it and will make the announcements very soon. It’s important to avoid a leadership vacuum,” he said.
“We’re scheduled to play a Test in maybe two to three months (though it’s actually mid-next month). Normally, we name captains a week before the series, but a captain’s job begins long before the match. The earlier we appoint someone, the better they can prepare. A final decision from the board is coming soon.”
