Bangladesh wrapped up their fifth T20I series win of 2025 by turning a 0-1 deficit into a 2-1 victory over Ireland, finishing the job on Tuesday with an eight-wicket success that came with 38 balls unused. After a year in which the side have already played a record 30 T20 internationals, captain Litton Das feels the collective is “almost ready” for the 2026 ICC event in India and Sri Lanka.
The series in brief
• Ireland pinched the opener, Bangladesh answered with back-to-back wins.
• Previous 2025 series: wins against Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Netherlands and Afghanistan; defeats to Pakistan, UAE and West Indies.
• Tuesday’s decider: pace mixed with spin, tidy ground fielding, and an uncluttered chase.
“I wanted the team to win from pressure situations,” Litton said after the final match. “We couldn’t overcome the pressure in the first game but we fought back to win the series. There are many positive sides. We are not a good fielding unit, but we took some brilliant catches in this series. At least in the fielding department, we have shown improvement. After playing the most number of T20Is in a year, I think our players have become more mature.”
Fielding has long been a Bangladeshi sore point, so several sharp grabs – especially one‐handers from Towhid Hridoy and Mahedi Hasan – were noted by the coaching staff. Even so, the captain admitted the work is far from done.
“The credit goes to all the players and coaching staff. Our team was ready since the Asia Cup. We have only used a certain number of players since then. I think we want these players to play their best cricket in the BPL, which we then expect them to replicate for the national team. I am not concerned about anyone’s performance, but about injuries. We will all pray that we remain safe in the next two months.”
Exploring options, minus the hype
Selectors have rotated openers, middle-order hitters and death bowlers. On Tuesday every recognised opener – Litton himself, Soumya Sarkar, Tanzid Hasan and Najmul Hossain Shanto – batted inside the top four to test different rhythms in the powerplay. The bowling card was shuffled too; Mustafizur Rahman (“Fizz”) was held back while Mohammad Saifuddin closed out.
“We have conducted a lot of experiments. We made certain changes that were risky – like Fizz [Mustafizur Rahman] didn’t bowl the last over today,” Litton said. “[Mohammad] Saifuddin bowled the last over. I wanted to see what a player will do after not playing two matches. I think we tried almost everything in every aspect of the team. This bunch of players are almost ready for the next World Cup.”
Middle order still a puzzle
Bangladesh have tried Jaker Ali, Nurul Hasan and Shamim Hossain at No. 6 this week; none fully nailed it. Litton, nevertheless, remains calm.
“I am not too concerned about it [the No. 6 position]. Not everyone will get runs in every series. You saw [Towhid] Hridoy doing well in this series,” he remarked first, later repeating the point: “I am not too concerned about it [the No. 6 position]. Not everyone will get runs in every series. You saw [Towhid] Hridoy doing well in this series. I want them to score runs in the BPL, and then bring that to the World Cup.”
Spin balance a headache – but a nice one
Mahedi Hasan, leg-spinner Rishad Hossain and left-armer Nasum Ahmed have all been labelled match-winners by their skipper, yet only two can usually play. “Mahedi [Hasan], Rishad [Hossain] and Nasum [Ahmed] are my match-winners, so I have to take a tough call when I have to pick [only] two spinners in the XI,” he said. “Sometimes, my performer has to sit out. They have a”
The unfinished sentence summed up an evening where plans were still being formed on the fly. Bangladesh’s next white-ball cricket comes in the Bangladesh Premier League in January, followed by a short away tour. Performances there, plus a clean bill of health, will decide who boards the plane in February. For now, Litton’s men own a fifth series trophy of the year – valuable, if imperfect, proof that the pieces are mostly in place.
