Bangladesh captain Litton Das heaped praise on Saif Hassan after the Tigers opened their Asia Cup Super Four campaign with a four-wicket victory over Sri Lanka. Following superb bowling from Mustafizur Rahman and Taskin Ahmed, Saif and Towhid Hridoy’s half-centuries guided Bangladesh to a 4 wicket win.
Litton said after the match: “I knew Saif could win us the match. I know his batting style. We picked him because we believed he could help us win in the UAE.”
Chasing Sri Lanka’s total of 168 for seven, Bangladesh lost Tanzid Hasan Tamim early. However, a 59-run partnership between Saif and Litton steadied the innings. Saif scored 61 off 45 balls, while Hridoy added 58 off 37 deliveries, keeping the required run rate in check and ensuring the Tigers reached their target with just one ball to spare.
During the bowling innings, Mustafizur was pivotal, conceding just five runs in the 19th over while taking three wickets. He removed Charith Asalanka with the first ball of the over, Kamindu Mendis on the fourth, and induced a catch from Kamindu before completing the over by dismissing Wanindu Hasaranga, who was caught at long-off by Tanzid Hasan. Taskin bowled the final over, giving away 10 runs, but did enough to secure the win.
Litton reflected on the key moments: “I think Mustafizur’s 19th over and Taskin’s 20th over changed the match. Before that, it looked like Sri Lanka might reach 190.”
Litton also achieved a personal milestone during the innings. His 23 off 16 balls in the second-wicket partnership with Saif made him Bangladesh’s highest run-scorer in international T20s, surpassing Shakib Al Hasan’s record of 2,551 runs. Liton now has 2,556 runs in 114 matches across 112 innings, averaging 23.88 with 15 half-centuries and a strike rate of 126.59.
Man of the match Saif also credited Litton for his innings and expressed his happiness at contributing to the team. Saif said, “The wicket was very good, and I tried to play a few shots. Litton was supporting me, and it was easy batting with him. He guided me a lot, telling me what to expect in the next delivery. I’m very happy to contribute to the team. Our preparation was good, and we had a solid plan against their bowlers, which worked well.”
