In the wake of being dropped from Bangladesh's Champions Trophy 2025 squad, Litton Kumar Das made a powerful statement with a scintillating century in the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).
The Dhaka Capitals opener scored his maiden BPL hundred off just 44 balls, hitting 8 fours and 7 sixes. His knock played a key role in securing the franchise’s first win of the season, breaking a six-match losing streak.
His knock also made him the second-fastest Bangladeshi centurion in BPL history, joining Chris Gayle, who also scored a century in 44 deliveries in 2012 against Sylhet Royals.
Pakistan's Ahmed Shehzad holds the record for the fastest BPL century in 40 deliveries.
Interestingly, Emon replaced Litton in the Champions Trophy squad as the backup opener.
Speaking to reporters after his explosive performance, the 30-year-old remained calm when asked if he was trying to silence his critics.
"No brother, there is nothing to prove to anyone and I am not interested to prove anything to anyone," said Das.
"At the back of the mind I always feel how I can improve my cricket. I think I was not having good time recently. The performance I gave today, I won't say I will be able to do the same in the next game but I will try to be consistent," he added.
When questioned about whether he had answered the selectors, Litton said, "It's difficult to say if I have answered them (selectors) but now the ball is in the court of the selectors. They currently don't think that I am fit for the team and that is the reason I am not in the squad."
"If they feel I am fit enough, they might give me the chance to make a comeback, but they are the ones to make the call. I am focusing on BPL for now and thinking about how I can do well," he said.
The right-handed batter also revealed that while he had not received any direct feedback from the selection panel, he was aware of the reasons behind his exclusion.
"A clear message was given (on why I was dropped), but that was not through the selectors. Why I was left out, you can get that in the media. If you see why I was dropped, it was because I was not performing, and you (media) all did the news on it. It is an open secret, and there is nothing to hide," he said.
Regarding the Champions Trophy, Litton said, "As far as Champions Trophy is concerned, I don't have it in my hands as the call has been made by the selectors. They make the decisions on who will play and who won't. My job is to perform and I could not do it till now. I was upset for that and was thinking on how to deliver in a match."
He concluded with a determined attitude, saying, "I carry the same mindset before and after the match. I always say what happened today is in the past, and I might have played a good innings today, but I will have to start from scratch tomorrow again. At the back of my mind, I know that I have to construct my innings from the beginning. I will work hard, and let's see what happens."
It is pertinent to mention that the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Sunday announced a 15-member squad for the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy, with veteran all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan being a notable absentee.
For the unversed, Bangladesh, drawn in Group A, will start their Champions Trophy 2025 campaign against India on February 20 in Dubai, before taking on New Zealand and hosts Pakistan on February 24 and 27, respectively.
Bangladesh's squad for the Champions Trophy 2025: Nazmul Hossain Shanto (c), Soumya Sarkar, Tanzid Hasan, Tawhid Hridoy, Mushfiqur Rahim, MD Mahmud Ullah, Jaker Ali Anik, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Rishad Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Parvez Hossain Emon, Nasum Ahmed, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Nahid Rana.
