The primary reason for Litton's omission is his prolonged form slump. The right-handed batter last scored a fifty during the 2023 ODI World Cup against India in Pune. Since that innings, 15 months and 13 innings have passed without a significant contribution from him.

Recent performances have been even more concerning. Although Litton scored 73 off 43 balls for Dhaka Capitals in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) last Friday—his first fifty in 23 innings across all formats—his overall record has been disappointing.

In the recent ODI series against the West Indies, he managed scores of 2, 4, and 0. His performances in the T20I series that followed were equally underwhelming, with scores of 0, 3, and 14. Despite his experience in global tournaments, the selectors ultimately decided not to place their trust in him this time.

Addressing Litton's exclusion, BCB Chief Selector Gazi Ashraf Hossain Lipu said, “He has been struggling with a severe lack of runs. His dismissals have been repetitive, and he hasn’t capitalized on powerplay opportunities, especially in white-ball cricket. For example, against the West Indies, where we scored close to 300, his strike rate was below par, putting extra pressure on his partner.”

Lipu also acknowledged the faith the selectors had previously placed in Litton.

“We’ve given him plenty of opportunities in white-ball cricket. Even during the Sri Lanka series, we kept him in the squad until the last match. Sometimes, a player is selected based on trust, but this time, it didn’t work out.”

Meanwhile, Soumya Sarkar, who hasn’t played in the BPL yet this season, retains the selectors’ confidence and is set to open alongside Tanzid Tamim.

The 15-member squad includes Parvez Hossain Emon as a backup wicketkeeper in Liton’s absence. Though Emon has played seven T20Is, he is yet to make his ODI debut. The Tigers will head into the Champions Trophy with Emon as part of their plans for the tournament.