SL vs BAN | Litton Das returns to ODI fold as Bangladesh starts new chapter under Mehidy Hasan Miraz

‌Litton Das is back in the Bangladesh ODI team that will play a three-match series against Sri Lanka from July 2. Litton is one among five players to find a place in the team after Bangladesh’s below-par showing in the ICC Champions Trophy in February-March 2025. Batter Mohammad Naim, all-rounder Shamim Hossain, and bowlers Tanvir Islam and Hasan Mahmud also returned to the 16-member squad announced by the Bangladesh Cricket Board chief selector Gazi Ashraf Hossain.

Litton last played an ODI in December 2024 against West Indies when he was dismissed for a duck in the third game and was dropped from the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 squad after a series of mediocre scores. Ashraf mentioned that Litton deserved a second chance after being appointed as the Bangladesh T20 skipper.

"Litton Das was in a bad patch but time is the best healer. He is the T20 captain, so we can consider him till the next T20 World Cup," Ashraf said. "If someone has to return to form, it is best to spend a long time in the middle. We feel that Litton can take his form from ODIs to T20Is."

Meanwhile, Naim returns to the ODI fold after almost two years since playing against Sri Lanka in September 2023 and finds a place on the back of an impressive showing in the Dhaka Premier League.

"Naim has shown that he can bat with the same intensity as our white-ball openers," Ashraf said. "He has done well in the Dhaka Premier League.”

Bangladesh have picked five pacers in the squad keeping in mind the return of Mustafizur Rahman and Taskin Ahmed’s return from injuries and Nahid Rana’s workload management while veteran all-rounder Soumya Sarkar has been dropped from the team to ensure full recovery from his persistent injuries before making a full-fledged return.

"Soumya Sarkar has had three injuries in the last 12-15 months. He had an ACL injury against Sri Lanka last year. He had a finger injury in the West Indies. Recently, he suffered a back spasm when we were considering him for the UAE series. He didn't recover in time, so he couldn't play any matches. We couldn't keep him in the side against Pakistan. We want him to recover fully, and return to consideration."

The Bangladesh Test team is currently in Sri Lanka for the two-match series with the ODI leg starting in Colombo on July 2. The second and third matches will be played on July 5th and 8th in Colombo and Pallekele, respectively.

Bangladesh squad for ODI series vs Sri Lanka

Mehidy Hasan Miraz (c), Tanzid Hasan, Parvez Hossain Emon, Mohammad Naim, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Towhid Hridoy, Litton Das, Jaker Ali, Shamim Hossain, Rishad Hossain, Tanvir Islam, Mustafizur Rahman, Tanzim Hasan, Taskin Ahmed, Nahid Rana, Hasan Mahmud.