Plenty played, little settled

At first glance, 2025 appeared to be a year of relentless activity for Bangladesh. Packed schedules and headline numbers hinted at momentum, but beneath the surface lay a more unsettling truth.

Statistically, it was a landmark year as the Tigers registered their highest-ever number of T20I wins. Yet the flip side told a grimmer story. They also suffered their second-highest number of defeats in the format, losing 14 matches, surpassed only by the 16 defeats in 2021. With Litton Das and company playing a record 30 fixtures in the shortest format, volume inflated both success and failure.

Four consecutive bilateral series wins -- including two against the Netherlands and Ireland -- offered brief encouragement, but a shock defeat to the UAE quickly punctured the optimism. Beyond the bilateral bubble, the Tigers once again fell into familiar patterns. While they have historically thrived in home series, even against the big guns, expectations continue to unravel the moment they step into multi-nation tournaments. This year was no different.

Caught between promise and panic

For a side that have reached three Asia Cup finals, a regional title -- or at least a final berth -- was a reasonable expectation. Instead, Bangladesh suffered another agonising exit just as qualification appeared within reach.

Aside from a Super Four win against Sri Lanka and a group-stage victory over Afghanistan, the Asia Cup campaign was largely dismal. A chronic shortage of runs exposed a muddled batting order and the absence of specialist middle-order batters, forcing desperate pinch-hitting experiments down the order and laying bare technical frailties.

Bangladesh did end the year with two T20I series wins after the Asia Cup, but those successes were largely bowler-driven and offered no lasting solution to the batting crisis. With the T20 World Cup looming in February–March and no international fixtures left, the focus now shifts to the Bangladesh Premier League -- a franchise tournament whose overall quality remains debated even within the corridors of Bangladesh Cricket Board.

A come-from-behind series win against Ireland late in the year did little to dispel a growing sense of complacency. The middle order's struggles persisted, yet the team management appeared unmoved. Matters worsened when the selection process came under scrutiny, culminating in a public fallout between skipper Litton Das and chief selector Gazi Ashraf Hossain Lipu. The episode laid bare a lack of coordination and clarity. As the year closes, the T20 side remain clouded by more doubt than certainty.

In the 50-over arena, the slide continued unchecked, eroding a format that once defined the Tigers' rise. Languishing 10th in the rankings, Bangladesh showed no signs of revival. More alarmingly, direct qualification for the 2027 World Cup now hinges on a handful of high-stakes series next year.

Bangladesh lost seven of their 11 ODIs in 2025. Mehidy Hasan Miraz's leadership came under scrutiny, and the squad never looked settled. Constant reshuffling of the batting order and a shortage of consistent, match-winning performances reduced the side to a shadow of their former selves.

Marginally meeting expectations

Even in Tests, where opportunities were limited and opposition modest, Bangladesh struggled to assert sustained authority. They played six matches, winning three, losing two and drawing one, but the figures are misleading. Four of those Tests came against Zimbabwe and Ireland, teams ranked well below the Tigers. A clean sweep should have been routine, yet a shock defeat to Zimbabwe in April exposed lingering weaknesses.

Although Najmul Hossain Shanto's men later whitewashed Ireland, a series loss in Sri Lanka served as a timely reminder of the gap that remains. While the Test line-up appears more settled than the white-ball sides, the overall quality of cricket remains underwhelming.

As 2025 draws to a close, the common thread across formats is not a lack of effort or opportunity, but a lack of direction. Bangladesh have played more, won some, lost plenty, and learned little when it mattered most. For casual followers, the numbers may hint at progress but the warning signs are hard to ignore, with the Tigers risking another year chasing momentum rather than shaping it.