Litton rues powerplay failure on ‘best wicket of the series’

Bangladesh T20 captain Litton Das termed the team's dismal start with the bat during the powerplay as the main reason behind their heavy defeat to Pakistan in the third and final T20I in Mirpur on Thursday.

Chasing a competitive target of 179, Bangladesh crumbled early, losing five wickets for just 25 runs within the first five overs.

At 41 for seven, they appeared to be heading for their lowest-ever T20I total – 70 against New Zealand in 2016.

A fighting unbeaten 35 off 34 balls from Mohammad Saifuddin helped the hosts avoid the embarrassment, but the recovery was not enough to stop Pakistan from securing a dominant 74-run victory. Bangladesh were bowled out for 104 in just 16.4 overs.

"It was a very good wicket, probably the best out of the three matches. I'd say it was a batting-friendly surface. But we lost the game in the powerplay itself," Litton said during the post-match press conference.

Despite the disappointing finish, Litton praised his bowlers for their overall performance across the series, which saw Bangladesh secure a 2-1 series win.

"The bowlers played a major role throughout. Bowling them out for 115 [110] in the first match and then defending a total of 135 [134] in the second -- that was a huge task. Even today, I thought the bowlers did their job reasonably well," he added.

Since taking over as full-time captain in the shortest format, Litton has now led Bangladesh to two T20I series victories out of four. Looking ahead, he emphasised the need for continued improvements, particularly in death bowling and the team's overall batting efforts.

"In both the recent series against Sri Lanka and Pakistan, we've done well with the new ball. But our death bowling still needs work, and batting continues to be an area we must improve," Litton concluded.

Bangladesh's next international assignment is expected in September during the Asia Cup T20, which is likely to be held in the UAE. Until then, the national side faces a rare break from international and domestic cricket, aside from Bangladesh 'A' team's scheduled red-ball and T20 series in Australia next month.