Bangladesh captain Litton Das has praised Saif Hassan for his standout batting in the Asia Cup, calling him “a big gain” despite the team’s disappointing campaign. Litton, who missed the last two matches against India and Pakistan due to injury, expressed both admiration for Saif and regret at being sidelined during Bangladesh’s toughest fixtures.
Saif’s batting was one of the few bright spots for Bangladesh in the Asia Cup, earning plaudits from teammates, coaches, and now Litton himself. “The way Saif bats, we thought it might come in handy in the UAE. He plays straight very well, and he can also bowl an over or two. He played very good cricket. He is a big gain for Bangladesh from this tournament. I hope he will continue to do well,” Litton said upon his return home.
For Litton, the absence from the matches against India and Pakistan was deeply frustrating. “Of course, it would have been good if I could have been there. India–Pakistan is obviously a big match. Since childhood, we have seen they are very big names. I could not play on the Asia Cup stage against such big teams. If I could, it would have felt very good,” he said.
Bangladesh went down in both fixtures, missing their captain’s form and leadership. Reflecting on the defeats, Litton pointed to specific shortcomings: “Against India, their spin quality was very good and we could not cope well. Against Pakistan, the target was within reach, we had belief we could chase. In cricket, anything can happen. We batters failed here.”
In Litton’s absence, Jaker Ali Anik captained Bangladesh, including in the crucial India–Pakistan clashes. Litton praised Jaker’s leadership: “For someone who does not captain regularly, it is difficult. But he gave good feedback. Despite not captaining for so long, the way he captained has been good for Bangladesh. I hope in the coming series we will get even better results.”
Litton will also miss the upcoming T20 series against Afghanistan, which begins on 2 October, as he continues his recovery. “Right now I don’t know anything. I will see the physio, talk to him,” he said about his injury.
Looking ahead to the 2026 T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka, Litton emphasised the importance of experience: “On the big stage, alongside players, experience is also needed. When a player regularly plays on the big stage, delivering becomes easier. The effort will be that those who play are senior players. Not that newcomers will not come, but when playing on the big stage, mature players should be in the team.”
To the fans, Litton sent a note of reassurance: “We know we could not always put smiles on faces. But there was no lack of effort. We tried, we worked hard. We hope in the future we can make up for this.”
