Litton urges players to perform in BPL after series win

Bangladesh captain Litton Das has called on his players to deliver their best performances in the upcoming Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), set to begin on December 26, saying strong showings in the tournament will directly benefit the national team ahead of next year's T20 World Cup.

Litton's comments came following Bangladesh's commanding eight-wicket victory over Ireland in Chattogram, a win that sealed the three-match T20I series 2–1. The Tigers bounced back impressively after losing the opening match, clinching their fifth T20I series of 2025.

"Whoever plays in the BPL, if they play their 100% cricket, it will be helping the Bangladesh team as well," Litton said at the post-match press conference. "I want all our players to perform when they play BPL, and then when they come for the national team, they will do the same thing."

The match belonged to young opener Tanzid Hasan, whose unbeaten 55 off 36 balls and record-breaking five catches powered Bangladesh to victory. Tanzid became the first outfielder from a full-member nation to take five catches in a T20I, completing all of them during Ireland's collapse from a promising 50 for 1 to 117 all out.

Left-arm seamer Mustafizur Rahman and wristspinner Rishad Hossain shared six wickets to derail Ireland's innings, while Tanzid and Parvez Hossain Emon (33 not out off 26) stitched an unbroken 73-run stand to take Bangladesh home with 38 balls remaining.

Litton praised his bowlers' resilience, saying: "All the bowlers did a really great job, especially in the middle overs. Although we didn't get any wicket in the first Powerplay, the way Rishad and Sheikh Mahedi came back was amazing. They are our main bowlers, and they took responsibility."

Reflecting on the chase, he added: "The wicket was a little bit slow, so I told all the batsmen to play their normal game; attack in the Powerplay. If you score 30 or 40 runs early, the later part becomes easier. You can't afford to be complacent even with small totals."

Litton also offered heartfelt thanks to the Chattogram fans: "Thank you to the crowd for your support. We couldn't gift enough match wins here before, but we tried our best and won the series this time. Please keep supporting us. The BPL is coming soon—if you come, the stands will be full, and it will be fun to play. Always support us whether we win or lose."