Bangladesh marched into the 2025 Champions Trophy with captain Najmul Hossain Shanto declaring that his side aimed to become champions. Yet, just two games in, their campaign lay in tatters -- brushed aside by India and New Zealand. With a dead rubber against Pakistan still to play, Bangladesh's campaign was over on the sixth day of the 18-day marquee tournament.

While Pakistan's early exit as defending champions may be surprising, Bangladesh's failure is anything but. The burning question remains: why do Bangladesh keep misfiring when the eyes of the world are upon them?

Following their loss to New Zealand in Rawalpindi on Monday, Shanto admitted: "Even when we win a series, most of the time it's on home soil. We rarely win abroad. It's the same in ICC events. One day, our bowling fails; another day, it's our batting or fielding. The whole thing feels disjointed."

If anything, Shanto's admission only confirms what has long been evident: Bangladesh's problem does not boil down to mere bad days. Beyond their performances, their mindset appears "disjointed." Confidence is key to success, but the Tigers' inability to deliver when it matters suggests they talk the talk without walking the walk.

Since their 2017 Champions Trophy semifinal run, Bangladesh have repeatedly flopped on the global stage. Their two World Cup campaigns have been forgettable, and in three T20 World Cups, they have hardly troubled top-ranked sides.

Lofty expectations inevitably collapse under pressure, leaving behind the same recycled excuses. "Tournaments are played on true wickets. We need to learn how to play on such surfaces. We must bat more and more on these true wickets," vice-captain Mehedi Hasan Miraz reflected after their elimination.

But the rot runs deeper than results. Off the field, the Tigers are rarely short of controversy; be it selection disputes or internal rifts. These distractions could be overcome with solid performances, yet, barring the occasional individual brilliance, the team never quite functioned as a unit.

Moreover, despite having a nucleus of stars over the years -- the likes of Tamim Iqbal, Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan, and Mahmudullah Riyad -- the team have been found wanting on the biggest stages. The presence of veterans Mushfiqur (274 ODIs) and Mahmudullah (239 ODIs) in this Champions Trophy should have been an asset. Instead, much like Mashrafe Bin Mortaza in the 2019 World Cup, the duo appeared more of a liability than a lifeline.

Ultimately, Bangladesh remain trapped in an endless cycle: talking big to create pre-tournament hype, crumbling under pressure, and then scrambling for excuses. Until the Bangladesh think tank addresses the root causes of their faulty mentality and execution, the same script will unravel in a different year.