Litton Das looked almost relieved rather than triumphant after Bangladesh wrapped up a 2-1 victory over Pakistan in Mirpur, their second successive T20I series win following a similar result in Sri Lanka. The captain put the turnaround down to a simple, if sometimes elusive, factor – everyone was finally available.
“We were facing a [players] crisis in the UAE and Pakistan [in May],” he reminded reporters straight after the match. “I didn’t get my best players during those two series. Taskin [Ahmed] wasn’t available. Mustafizur [Rahman] had left for the IPL. We are well aware of Mustafiz’s capability and how dangerous he can be for the opposition. We also had some players unavailable in Pakistan. Those who were there didn’t play up to the mark. I think we had the full set-up against Sri Lanka and Pakistan [this time]. We have to continue playing in such a manner.”
Key facts first. Bangladesh had lost six T20Is in a row before travelling to Kandy. They took the Sri Lanka series 2-1, then came home and defeated Pakistan by the same margin. Across those six matches, the bowlers dismissed Pakistan for 110, defended a modest 133, and generally dictated terms. Taskin grabbed six wickets in the Pakistan leg, while Mustafizur’s economy rate was a miserly 2.86. Spinners Mahedi Hasan and Rishad Hossain chipped in crucial middle-overs spells in Sri Lanka.
That nice, neat summary hides the chaos of the preceding months. Mustafizur missed two games in the UAE; Taskin was sidelined by an ankle injury; left-arm quick Shoriful Islam was unavailable for the Pakistan tour in May; Rishad and Nahid Rana were stranded by visa trouble for one UAE fixture, and Rana then skipped the Pakistan visit for personal reasons. All that chopping and changing left Bangladesh short of bite and confidence.
This time, though, the captain had options. “The bowlers definitely had a huge role in this series win,” Litton said. “They bowled out Pakistan for 110 runs [in the first T20I]. Then we defended 133 runs [in the second T20I]. Those were big challenges. We bowled well even today.”
The turning point in Sri Lanka told a similar tale. Bangladesh lost the opener, partly because they undershot a par total. “I think we didn’t score enough in that game in Kandy, where 180 was a par score,” Litton recalled. “Sri Lanka were in attacking mode that day. I think we were behind on the execution of our plans. We didn’t bowl where we wanted to bowl at the Sri Lankan batters. We followed the same plan and came back into the series.”
Pace, a traditional weak spot, has suddenly become a strength. In 2025, Bangladesh’s quicks have taken 51 wickets – roughly 61% of the team’s haul. Eight seamers have featured already, a luxury that allows rotation, rest and horses-for-courses tactics. Mustafizur works the cutters, Taskin hurries batters with pace through the middle, and Shoriful offers left-arm variation when fit.
“We are fortunate to have some more really good bowlers,” Litton noted. “We don’t want to lose them early. We want to give them enough opportunities, but we also want to consider” – he broke off, searching for the right phrase – “their skill-sets and, of course, the workload.”
That remark hints at the next challenge. Keeping bowlers fresh is hard when franchise leagues, international tours and domestic commitments collide. Bangladesh, rarely spoilt for depth, are suddenly juggling too many rather than too few quicks. Selector Habibul Bashar sounded cautiously upbeat earlier in the week, saying the coaching staff would “make sure nobody is overloaded before the Champions Trophy cycle”.
The batting, admittedly, still splutters. Scores of 134-7, 172-6 and 132-8 against Pakistan suggest room for improvement. Tamim Iqbal’s return from injury has steadied the top order, yet finishing power remains patchy. For the moment, though, the bowlers and a fully stocked bench have been enough.
Perhaps the most striking element of Litton’s post-series media time was its lack of hype. No grand declarations, just a pointed reminder that availability matters. And, after the turmoil of the first half of the year, simply fielding the first-choice XI already feels like progress.
