Bangladesh appoint 30-year-old star as T20I captain ahead of series against India, until T20 World Cup 2026

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has officially appointed Litton Das as their T20 International (T20I) captain, entrusting him with the leadership role through the 2026 T20 World Cup. This announcement coincided with the announcement of Bangladesh's 16-member squad selected for the T20I series against both the UAE and Pakistan.

Litton Das, Bangladesh's new T20I captain

This decision to name Litton as the full-time captain comes on the heels of his successful tenure as the stand-in skipper during Bangladesh's tour of the West Indies, where the team achieved a commendable clean sweep in the T20I series. The newly announced squad also marks the return of Najmul Hossain Shanto and MD Tawhid Hridoy to the T20I fold. Conversely, experienced players Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Taskin Ahmed have been left out of this particular selection. Additionally, Nasum Ahmed and Ripon Mondol are the other players who did not make the cut for the upcoming series.

Given the three-week interval between the series against Zimbabwe and Pakistan, the Bangladesh national cricket team, known as the Tigers, will utilize this period to engage in a preparatory T20I series against the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This series will officially commence Litton Das's term as the full-time captain of the T20I team, with Shak Mahedi Hasan appointed as his deputy, the vice-captain. Notably, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, who had previously been named as the vice-captain, is not included in the current squad.

Najmul Hossain Shanto had previously held the captaincy for Bangladesh across all three formats of the game but relinquished his T20I leadership role in January of this year. Subsequently, an injury sidelined him from the most recent T20I series against the West Indies, which created the opportunity for Litton Das to assume the captaincy. Under Litton's guidance, Bangladesh achieved a clean sweep against the West Indies, winning all three matches and earning commendation for his tactical acumen and composed demeanor.

Although Litton Das is currently recovering from a finger injury, the team management is optimistic about his fitness and availability before the start of the series. He is now set to lead Bangladesh through a significant period as the team focuses its preparations for the upcoming T20 World Cup scheduled for the following year.

Bangladesh squad for UAE and Pakistan T20I series:

Litton Das (captain), Tanzid Hasan, Parvez Hossain Emon, Soumya Sarkar, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Towhid Hridoy, Shamim Hossain, Jaker Ali Anik, Rishad Hossain, Mahedi Hasan (vice-captain), Tanvir Islam, Mustafizur Rahman, Hasan Mahmud, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Nahid Rana, and Shoriful Islam.