Liton Das is finding his groove again after getting dropped from the Bangladesh national team for the forthcoming Champions Trophy, to be held in Pakistan and the UAE next month.
The wicketkeeper-batter has hit three 70-plus scores for Dhaka Capitals in his last four matches, including a 44-ball hundred against Durbar Rajshahi in a record-breaking affair on January 12鈥攖he day the national selectors announced the squad for the Champions Trophy.
Liton had been struggling for runs in international circuit for a prolonged period. He had no fifties in 19 innings across the formats since getting a hundred against Pakistan in a Test in Rawalpindi.
He was out of tune at the start of the BPL too, as his first four innings yielded 31, 0, 2, and 9 runs, respectively. As a result, he got himself dropped from the Dhaka eleven too in a match against Chittagong Kings.
Since his return, Liton has been hitting the ball well and seemed to have gained his confidence back. He hit his first fifty against Sylhet Strikers, an innings of 70 runs off 48 balls.
Though that was not enough for the selectors to get a nod as they thought it would be better for Liton to take a break and find his way back.
Liton also admitted that his form was not up to the mark and it was predictable that he鈥檇 lose his place from the national fold.
Since making his debut in 2015, Liton has always been thought of as one of the most talented batters Bangladesh have ever produced for his flair and stroke play.
But Liton often failed to maintain the consistency and was guilty of throwing his wicket away.
This is not the first time that Liton has been snubbed. He was dropped from the third ODI against Sri Lanka in March last year. Before that, Liton was dropped from the T20 squad after having a dismal World Cup in 2021.
Later, Liton said that the break in the T20I helped him to find his mojo back, as during that time he worked with his childhood coaches.
When he smashed a hundred against Pakistan in the Chattogram Test after not being selected for the T20I series, Liton said that he couldn鈥檛 assure consistency as he only could follow his process.
鈥業 can鈥檛 expect to score a hundred in my next innings. I have to start from zero next time,鈥� he said at that time.
Liton also said similar things after his hundred in this BPL that he鈥檇 have to start from zero again.
Thisara Perera, Liton鈥檚 captain in Dhaka Capitals, though, remained confident that a player like Liton would find his way back.
鈥楾he good players, they always come back strongly,鈥� said Perera.
鈥楽ometimes everyone figures out these [particular] players are very good; others are not good. But the good players always come back strongly. That鈥檚 why Liton Das is in very good form,鈥� he added.
According to Perera, as a batter, life is harder in cricket in terms of success and failures.
鈥楨veryone will have failures. In my life, in your life 鈥� everyone,鈥� explained Perera. 鈥楤ut as a cricketer, we tend to have more failures. Because you only need one ball to get out. That鈥檚 cricket. The bowlers got more chances, but as batters, you鈥檒l have only one. As a batter, Liton Das is very strong.鈥�
