Najmul Hossain Shanto steps down as Bangladesh's T20I captain: Details
What's the story
Najmul Hossain Shanto has officially stepped down as the T20I captain of Bangladesh's T20I side.
The news was confirmed by a senior official of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Thursday.
Notably, reports of Shanto considering resigning after the home series against South Africa had emerged. He had initially intended to do so post the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup.
Here are further details.
Change of plans
Shanto's decision to quit captaincy in all formats
As mentioned, Shanto had planned to resign from the T20I captaincy after the 2024 World Cup.
However, he later revised his decision and expressed a desire to step down from all three formats.
This change was prompted by BCB President Faruque Ahmed's intervention, which led to Shanto being appointed as skipper for the three-ODI series against Afghanistan, where he sustained an injury.
Official statement
BCB official confirms Shanto's resignation
A top BCB official confirmed Shanto's decision to Cricbuzz, adding that he had informed them of his decision not to lead in the T20Is.
The official also clarified that with no upcoming T20Is, there was no immediate need to appoint a new captain.
Despite resigning from T20I leadership, Shanto is expected to continue leading Bangladesh in Test and ODIs, if fit.
Successor speculation
Litton Das likely to take over T20I captaincy
It is largely believed that Litton Das, who has shown his willingness to take the T20I captaincy long term after guiding Bangladesh to a 3-0 win against the West Indies, will be Shanto's successor.
While there have been speculations of Mehedy Hasan possibly succeeding him after his time as stand-in captain during the West Indies tour, Shanto remains set to lead Bangladesh in the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy.
Information
Shanto's record as T20I captain
Shanto led Bangladesh in 24 T20Is between 2023 and 2024. Under his leadership, they won 10 and lost 13 matches. One match was washed out. He is one of the few Bangladesh skippers to have led in 20+ T20Is.