Will Shanto’s willow stop snoozing?

Bangladesh's campaign in this year's ICC Men's T20 World Cup has been refreshingly devoid of any off-field drama surrounding captaincy, thanks to Najmul Hossain Shanto who has taken the captaincy mantle on his stride and has done a commendable job so far.

That being said, in a playful attempt to spark some off-field spice, here's a whimsical conspiracy theory: Bangladesh have two Shantos playing in the marquee event.

At one end, there is captain Shanto, a smart leader who has been brave with his use of bowlers, excellent with his on-field decisions, has taken a number of gutsy calls, and almost all of his gambles have come off.

At the age of 26, leading the team for the first time in an ICC event as a fulltime captain, Shanto has shown the wits of a seasoned veteran and has been rightfully showered with praises for it.

But at the other end stands the batter Shanto, who looks fidgety, indecisive, unsure whether to press on or grind it out in the middle.

Since arriving in North America, he has batted six times, including a warm-up match against India, and has made three, 36, zero, seven, 14 and one, in that order -- the last three off which have come in the T20 World Cup.

It's not like Shanto has been struggling against a particular type of bowling either.

He has been dismissed twice against off-spinners, stumped against the USA's Steven Taylor and caught at slip to the Netherlands' Aryan Dutt, lost his stumps to India's Mohammad Siraj, got caught trying to pull South Africa's Anrich Nortje and gave a straight-forward catch to extra cover against Sri Lanka's Nuwan Thushara.

The only time he got going was the 34-ball 36-run knock against the USA in the second T20I of the three-match series last month, which ended with a run-out dismissal.

Realistically, had Shanto not been the captain of the team, his place in the starting eleven would have been under serious threat.

But while batter Shanto has been a liability for the team so far, captain Shanto has been indispensable. Most notably, his use of leg-spinner Rishad Hossain has been inspiring, arguably the key move in Bangladesh's winning encounters against Netherlands and Sri Lanka.

Giving Shakib Al Hasan just one over and completing his quota with three overs from Mahmudullah Riyad against South Africa was another inspired decision, one that paid dividends.

In a team where former captains like Shakib and Mahmudullah are in the middle, Shanto has emerged as the clear leader on the field; always communicating with the bowlers from mid-on.

But even his excellent captaincy is not enough to hide his blushes with the bat.

Liton Das, who also came into the tournament with questionable form, contributed in the win over Sri Lanka with a steadfast 36 off 38 balls while Tanzid Hasan Tamim gave glimpses of his abilities at the top with a flashy 35 off 26 balls against the Dutch.

Shanto is the only top-order batter who is yet to play an effective knock and, with Bangladesh in pole position for Super Eight, it is imperative that the skipper regains his groove.

Next up for the Tigers are the spirited Nepal, who pushed South Africa to the limit before conceding a one-run loss.

A win will seal Bangladesh's position in the next round among India, Australia, and Afghanistan -- arguably three of the best bowling attacks in the competition.

For Shanto, the match against Nepal is an opportunity to get some runs under his belt and get off the mark in leading the team from the front with the bat. If he fails to do so, who knows, the ludicrous conspiracy theory proposed above could gain some steam.