Shanto steps down as T20 captain
Najmul Hossain Shanto
A source within the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) confirmed the news to Cricfrenzy.
Shanto had hinted at relinquishing the captaincy during the recent Test series against South Africa. He missed the West Indies series due to injury, during which Mehidy Hasan Miraz led the team in Tests and ODIs, while Litton Das captained the T20 side.
Under Miraz’s leadership, Bangladesh drew the Test series but suffered a whitewash in the ODI series. Conversely, Litton guided the team to a clean sweep in the T20 series against the West Indies.
With Shanto stepping down, Litton Das emerges as the frontrunner for the T20 captaincy. Towhid Hridoy’s name is also under consideration, while Taskin Ahmed, though a strong candidate, is reportedly not in the running due to his susceptibility to injuries and the need for workload management for pacers.
Shanto is expected to continue leading in Tests and ODIs, at least until the ICC Champions Trophy. Currently playing for Fortune Barishal in the BPL, Shanto has had a rough start to the tournament, being dismissed for a duck in the opening match.