Dhaka: Litton Das has been appointed Bangladesh’s new ODI captain, with the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) deciding to move forward with a two-captain system across white-ball and red-ball cricket. The decision was announced by BCB president Tamim Iqbal on Wednesday after a meeting with the board of directors at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.
Litton will take charge of Bangladesh’s white-ball teams, while Najmul Hossain Shanto will continue as the red-ball captain. Towhid Hridoy has been named the white-ball vice-captain, while Mehidy Hasan Miraz will continue as the vice-captain of the Test team.
Litton Das Named Bangladesh ODI Captain
Litton Das’s appointment comes as the BCB looks to simplify its leadership structure and get the best out of Mehidy Hasan Miraz as a player. Mehidy had previously been leading Bangladesh in the 50-over format, but the board believes that his services are more valuable to the team as an all-round cricketer than as captain.
Cricbuzz had earlier reported that Litton was expected to replace Mehidy as Bangladesh’s ODI captain, with the BCB considering a system in which one captain would oversee the white-ball formats.
However, Tamim Iqbal said the board ultimately decided that having two captains across the three formats would be the better approach. Under the new structure, Litton will lead Bangladesh in white-ball cricket, while Shanto will remain responsible for the red-ball side.
“We had three captains across the three formats. I believe, and the board also believes, that having two captains is the right way forward.”
BCB Wants Mehidy Hasan Miraz to Focus on His Cricket
The decision to remove Mehidy Hasan Miraz from the ODI captaincy is largely connected to the BCB’s desire to see him return to his best level as an all-rounder. Tamim acknowledged that Mehidy had enjoyed considerable success as Bangladesh captain but said the team needed him more as a performer.
Mehidy won four of the five series he led, demonstrating that his captaincy record was strong. However, Tamim believes that the responsibilities of leadership may have contributed to a slight dip in his overall performance, particularly with the ball.
“Miraz has been a highly successful captain. He won four of the last five series he led. But I believe we need Miraz more as a cricketer than as a captain.”
Tamim added that Mehidy’s batting performances have remained positive, but there is still room for improvement in his bowling. The BCB therefore wants him to concentrate on returning to his full rhythm and producing his best performances for Bangladesh.
According to Tamim, the board has made it clear to Mehidy that he is valued primarily as a cricketer. He also suggested that the pressure and outside noise surrounding captaincy may have affected the all-rounder.
Mehidy Hasan Miraz’s Record as Bangladesh ODI Captain
Mehidy led Bangladesh in 20 ODIs, winning 10 of those matches. His captaincy tenure began with a difficult stretch, as Bangladesh lost five of their first six matches and suffered two consecutive series defeats.
The team subsequently turned its fortunes around and won four consecutive home ODI series against the West Indies, Pakistan, New Zealand and Australia.
Bangladesh’s strong run eventually came to an end with an away series defeat against Zimbabwe. Despite the mixed start and finish, Mehidy’s overall record included a number of successful series victories.
Litton Das Has Previous ODI Captaincy Experience
Litton Das is not new to leading Bangladesh in ODI cricket. The wicketkeeper-batter has previously captained the national side in seven ODIs.
One of his most notable captaincy assignments came in 2022, when Bangladesh secured a 2-1 ODI series victory over India. Litton was handed the captaincy in the absence of Tamim Iqbal, who was ruled out because of injury.
Litton also led Bangladesh in two ODIs against Afghanistan in 2023 following Tamim’s sudden mid-series retirement. Later that year, he again took charge for two matches against New Zealand when regular captain Shakib Al Hasan was unavailable.
His previous experience of leading Bangladesh in international cricket is expected to help him settle into the full-time ODI captaincy role.
Bangladesh to Have Two Captains Across Formats
The BCB has opted for a leadership structure involving two captains rather than three separate captains for Test, ODI and T20I cricket. Tamim said the board believes the arrangement will allow the respective leaders to plan and prepare more effectively for their formats.
Najmul Hossain Shanto will continue as Bangladesh’s red-ball captain, while Litton Das will lead the white-ball teams. Towhid Hridoy has been appointed white-ball vice-captain, and Mehidy will remain the Test vice-captain.
Tamim also indicated that the board could eventually move towards an even simpler leadership model, potentially appointing a single captain across all three formats in the future.
“In the future, we may even move towards having a single captain for all formats.”
The BCB president stressed that the decision was not taken without consultation. He said the board had spoken with the relevant players and coaching staff before finalising the new leadership structure.
BCB Emphasises Alignment Between Captains
Tamim Iqbal said there needs to be strong coordination between Bangladesh’s white-ball and red-ball captains. He also said he had personally spoken with the vice-captains and that everyone involved was on board with the new process.
The BCB wants the two captains to work within a coordinated framework while concentrating on the demands of their respective formats. The aim is to create greater clarity in planning and preparation instead of having three different captains operating independently.
Six-Month Plan for Bangladesh Cricket
Following Bangladesh’s Zimbabwe tour, Tamim met the coaching staff and players and asked them to prepare a six-month plan for the national team.
The BCB now intends to review performance over six-month periods rather than making frequent changes based on individual series results. National cricketers and members of the coaching staff will also be evaluated during these review periods.
Tamim said the board wants to move away from a culture where players are rewarded when Bangladesh wins a series but come under intense questioning after defeats. Instead, the BCB wants to assess progress against a defined plan over a longer period.
“We need to bridge the gap that has existed between the board and the players. We also want to move away from the culture of rewarding players only when they win a series and questioning them when they lose.”
After six months, the board will assess how much of the planned work has been completed. Tamim added that a similar review approach would also be applied to committees.
What Litton Das’ ODI Captaincy Means for Bangladesh
Litton Das’s appointment marks a fresh chapter for Bangladesh ODI cricket. The decision gives the team a captain with previous experience in the role while allowing Mehidy Hasan Miraz to concentrate on his responsibilities as a key all-rounder.
With Shanto continuing as Test captain and Litton taking charge of the white-ball side, the BCB hopes the two-captain model will provide clearer responsibilities and better preparation across formats.
For Litton, the challenge will now be to turn his previous short-term captaincy experience into sustained leadership of Bangladesh’s ODI team. For Mehidy, the change offers an opportunity to focus fully on his bowling and batting contributions without the additional demands of leading the side.
The BCB’s six-month review model will provide the board with an opportunity to assess whether the new leadership structure is delivering the desired results. For now, Bangladesh have placed their confidence in Litton Das to lead the country’s white-ball cricket into its next phase.
