Najmul Hossain Shanto has stepped down as Bangladesh’s Test captain.
He made the announcement during the press conference following the innings defeat to Sri Lanka in the second Test in Colombo, as reported by several media outlets present at the venue.
On the fourth day of the Colombo Test, Bangladesh were beaten by an innings and 78 runs, handing Sri Lanka the series 1–0.
Until recently, Shanto had been leading Bangladesh in all three formats. But the leadership baton has slowly shifted. Litton Das took over as the T20 captain earlier, and on June 12, the BCB surprisingly named Mehidy Hasan Miraz as the new ODI skipper. Now, Shanto has voluntarily stepped down from the Test captaincy as well.
Shanto led Bangladesh in 14 Tests—the fifth-most among Bangladesh captains. Under his leadership, Bangladesh won four matches.
“In terms of win percentage, Shanto ranks as Bangladesh’s most successful Test captain.”
He also holds the best win-loss ratio among captains who’ve led the team in multiple matches.
Shanto made his captaincy debut in Tests during the Sylhet match against New Zealand in 2023, stepping in as stand-in skipper for Shakib Al Hasan. He made an immediate impact, scoring a century in that match and leading the team to a 150-run win. Eventually, he was appointed full-time Test captain.
In the first Test of the recent series against Sri Lanka in Galle, he struck twin centuries. However, he faced criticism for delaying the declaration, which many felt cost the team a chance at victory.
The BCB now has ample time to choose a new Test captain, as Bangladesh’s next red-ball assignment isn’t until November, when they host Ireland at home.
