Bangladesh captain Litton Das has defended his players and pointed to a “crowded calendar” as a primary factor following a comprehensive 3-0 T20I series sweep at home against the West Indies.
The defeat was a significant setback, marking only the second time in 12 bilateral home series that Bangladesh has been swept. It also snapped an impressive winning streak of four consecutive T20I series victories since July this year.
Litton Das suggested that player burnout was a major contributor to the “woeful” batting performances. Bangladesh failed to chase 166 and 150 in the first two games, and in the third, their batting collapsed from 107 for 2 to 151 all out. West Indies chased that target convincingly.
“Sometimes, the players need rest because when you play so much, many things will not go your way,” Litton said. “When the players get a break, like now… they will get at least ten days of break to restart themselves.”
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The captain’s claim is backed by data. Bangladesh has been the second-busiest team in international cricket in 2025, having played 42 matches. Litton noted the team’s non-stop schedule from the Netherlands series to the Asia Cup and the subsequent Afghanistan series.
Despite the poor results, Litton Das backed his current squad, arguing against reactionary changes. “We have proven players,” he stated. “If you change players every day, the results will be the same… it is better to go ahead with them to expect better results.”
The lone shining star in the series was Tanzid Hasan, who hit consecutive fifties, including a superb 89 in the final match.
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While fatigue was the main concern, Litton Das also conceded that Bangladesh’s batters are “a little behind” in modern T20I skill development. “World cricket is now far ahead,” he admitted. “We hardly have batters who play the reverse sweep, for instance. We need to work on those things.”
With the T20Is complete, Litton Das is hopeful the upcoming break will allow the team to “recover well and come back” for the Ireland series in November.