Litton Das Named Bangladesh T20I Captain Until 2026 T20 World Cup

Litton Das has officially taken over as Bangladesh’s new T20I captain, with Mahedi Hasan stepping in as his deputy for the upcoming seven-match away series against the UAE and Pakistan in May and June.

Litton replaces Najmul Hossain Shanto, who stepped down from the T20I captaincy earlier this year. Interestingly, Litton had already filled in as skipper during Bangladesh’s T20I series in the West Indies last December when Shanto was sidelined with a hamstring injury. That series went perfectly for the Tigers, who completed a 3-0 whitewash of the hosts. Now, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has handed Litton the reins on a full-time basis in this format, and the upcoming matches will be his first official outing as the permanent T20I captain. The BCB also revealed a 16-member squad for the tour. 

BCB cricket operations chairman Najmul Abedin explained the decision, saying it’s part of a longer-term plan. “Litton Das will lead the side until the T20 World Cup next year. For Litton, experience has been an important factor. We don’t have many experienced players in the current setup. While there were discussions about his form, we believe he has the potential. If he can organize his game, he’ll be an asset to the team.” As for Mahedi, his appointment is short-term — for now. “Mahedi is almost an automatic pick in this format. His tactical awareness stood out to us. But this is not a permanent appointment — just for two series. We want to build a future captain under the guidance of the current one,” said selector Fahim. 

Litton has led the national side before — once in Tests, seven times in ODIs, and four times in T20Is — but this is the first time he’s been named captain full-time. The 30-year-old, who recently pulled out of PSL 2025 due to a finger injury picked up in training, has since made a full recovery. 

Meanwhile, Shanto is back in the squad, one of five players making a return. The others include Towhid Hridoy, Tanvir Islam, Mustafizur Rahman, and Shoriful Islam. Hridoy had been out due to injury during the Windies series, and Mustafizur was away dealing with a personal matter. Notably missing from the squad are Afif Hossain, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Ripon Mondol, and Taskin Ahmed. Taskin is currently recovering from an ankle injury, but Mehidy’s omission did raise a few eyebrows since he’s been part of the team’s leadership setup recently. 

Bangladesh’s tour kicks off with two T20Is against UAE in Sharjah on May 17 and 19. After that, they’ll head to Pakistan for a five-match T20I series starting May 25, with the final game scheduled for June 3. It’s a big test for Litton, and a fresh chapter for Bangladesh in T20 cricket. 

Bangladesh squad for T20Is in UAE and Pakistan  

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

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