Litton Das backed Bangladesh to go all the way in the tri-nation series against Zimbabwe and Afghanistan, but he did so with a clear warning: the batting has to last. Speaking on Friday before the series opener against Zimbabwe, the Bangladesh captain said his side can win if it plays good cricket, with the first test of that belief set for Saturday in Abu Dhabi.
The timing matters because Bangladesh arrive at Ban Vs Zim carrying recent scars. They were whitewashed 3-0 by Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi in October 2025 and lost 2-1 to Zimbabwe in July this year, with their batting repeatedly failing to go the distance. In Harare, they folded for 116 in 33.1 overs while chasing 141 in the first ODI and were bowled out for 234 in 48.1 overs while chasing 247 in the second before winning the third match convincingly.
Das did not hide where he thinks the problem sits. He said senior players must take responsibility and that Bangladesh have not been able to bat out 50 overs against Afghanistan and Zimbabwe. He added that the side often goes in with only six specialist batters, which leaves little room for error if the lower order does not add enough runs and the innings stalls.
That is the friction inside Bangladesh’s optimism. Das entered the series with 300 runs in nine ODI innings in 2026 at an average of 42.86, including two half-centuries, but he also had only six runs in six ODIs across 2024 and 2025. He is asking the senior order to steady the side while also acknowledging that the lower half of the lineup can leave the team exposed when the chase deepens or the scoring rate has to rise.
Bangladesh’s recent record offers both encouragement and a warning. Under Mehidy Hasan Miraz, they won four consecutive home series against the West Indies, Pakistan, New Zealand and Australia, proof that the side can string together results when the batting holds. But the next assignment will be judged less by that record than by whether the same group can finally finish 50 overs, starting against Zimbabwe on Saturday. If they do not, the title talk will not survive the first week of the tri-nation series.
