Liton Das is determined to break the long-standing wait for a T20I win against Pakistan in the upcoming series.
Bangladesh haven’t beaten Pakistan in T20Is since 2016. They suffered a whitewash on their last tour to Pakistan in May and were also blanked at home during the 2021 series. As they prepare for yet another series, Liton wants his team to focus on playing their best cricket rather than dwelling on the past.
Bangladesh have never had a strong record in T20Is, and their numbers against Pakistan are even worse — just 3 wins in 22 matches. One of those wins came at the 2023 Asian Games, where no full-strength teams participated.
Against Pakistan’s main side, Bangladesh have lost the last 12 T20Is. Their last victory came in the 2016 Asia Cup at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium, where they won by 5 wickets. Before that, they defeated Pakistan at the same venue in 2015 by 7 wickets. But apart from those two wins, Bangladesh have never managed to beat Pakistan either at home or away.
On Sunday, the two teams will meet again at the Home of Cricket in Mirpur for the start of a new series. Speaking to the media on the eve of the match, Liton emphasized a positive mindset.
“We have to play our best cricket. Everything is meant to become history, and records are meant to be broken. If we play good cricket, it won’t take long to break those records. Instead of thinking about the past, we need to focus on what we can do, how capable we are, and how well we can play — and then those records will change,” Liton said.
Earlier in the day, Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha echoed a similar sentiment, saying his team isn’t concerned about past records either.
“We never think about how we’ve been winning for the past nine years. We just focus on playing good cricket and playing the way we know. Our goal will remain the same in this series as well,” Salman said.
“We want to play good cricket in every match. We want to take big steps forward in each game. That’s our goal. And yes, if playing this way leads us to a 3-0 win, we’ll be happier than ever.”
Bangladesh’s recent tour of Sri Lanka could be a source of confidence heading into this series. After losing the first match, Liton and his team bounced back to win the T20I series and return home with the trophy. With just three days between the two series, Bangladesh will certainly not lack belief.
However, Bangladesh don’t have much of a record when it comes to winning consecutive T20I series. They have only done it twice — once in 2021 when they beat Zimbabwe, Australia, and New Zealand, and again in 2022–23 when they defeated the UAE, England, Ireland, and Afghanistan.
Asked whether this could be another chance for back-to-back series wins, Liton promised full effort.
“We’ll never fall short of giving our best. Whether it’s two series or several in a row, our mindset and goal will remain the same — to win the series. But for that, we have to play good cricket in every match,” Liton said.
“What happened in Sri Lanka is already in the past. This is a new place, a new venue — we have to approach everything with a fresh mindset. New challenges will come, and we are ready to face them. Let’s see what happens.”
With next month’s series against India postponed, this will be Bangladesh’s last series before the Asia Cup — making it their final opportunity to settle the squad. Liton said they will make decisions based on conditions.
“We will decide based on the day and the conditions — whether we stick with the same XI or test our bench strength. Every player in our squad is capable of performing. We, along with the team management, will decide the right time for each player to get a chance. We’ll plan accordingly,” Liton concluded.
