Litton Das’s Perspective Has Changed, Doesn’t Enjoy the 'Crisis Man' Label

At almost 30, Litton Das’s international career has spanned more than nine years. Though he entered Bangladesh cricket with great promise, it's only recently that Litton has started proving his worth consistently. In Pakistan’s historic triumph (winning the Test series 2-0), Litton played a pivotal role as a wicketkeeper-batter.

In an exclusive interview with Golam Saroer, Litton Das shared his thoughts on the Pakistan series, the upcoming India series, and other topics. Here’s the full conversation for Cricket97 readers:

Cricket97: You had a fantastic series in Pakistan. How are you enjoying those memories now?

Litton Das: The experience in Pakistan was really good. I felt great, especially after scoring runs after a long time, which is positive. But the Pakistan series is over now, and there’s a huge series ahead (two Tests and three T20Is against India). My focus is on that.

Cricket97: After your performance in Pakistan, you’re receiving a lot of love from fans. Just two months ago, the reactions from fans, especially on social media, were quite different. How do you feel about the change in support?

Litton Das: I’ve always appreciated the love from fans. What happens is that every Bangladeshi wants me to perform. As a player, my job is to perform. When I don’t, they get disappointed and express frustration. But deep down, no one wishes me ill; no one wants me to fail. When I do something good for the country, they will support me. That’s just natural.

Cricket97: Fans and many cricket pundits admire your batting. You’re going to play in India, and one of India’s popular commentators, Harsha Bhogle, is a fan of your batting. Have you ever spoken to him?

Litton Das:No, I don’t have any such memories. I haven’t had any face-to-face conversation with him yet. But if the opportunity arises, I’ll definitely try to speak with him.

Cricket97:When experts like Ian Bishop or Harsha Bhogle praise your batting, how does that make you feel?

Litton Das:It’s not just about praise. I think they watch world cricket very closely. They commentate on most matches, so when they do, they see the whole field. Maybe they like something about what they see. It’s not only about me; they analyze many cricketers. Maybe they’ve thought I’m a player of that caliber. They also wonder why I don’t perform consistently. Performance is everything—when you perform, you showcase your skills.

Cricket97:Ten years ago, did you envision being where you are now?

Litton Das:Ten years ago, I had different thoughts, and now my thoughts are different. People’s desires have no end. The goals I had ten years ago might have been fulfilled by now. But my current goals are much higher. I believe staying focused on the present is important. Of course, people think about the future, but focusing on what’s in front of me now is what I believe works best.

Cricket97: Recently, you mentioned that after spending ten years in international cricket, you feel ready to take on more responsibility. Do you feel mature as a batter?

Litton Das: When I talked about responsibility, I meant that every cricketer in Bangladesh has a responsibility, whether they’ve played for one year or ten. Naturally, a cricketer with ten years of experience has more than someone who has played for just one. That’s what I meant. In big teams, it’s the experienced players who bat during crucial moments and change the game.

If you look at it, both Mehidy Hasan Miraz and I have careers spanning almost nine years. It’s natural for Bangladeshis to expect that players with such experience should perform well. It’s only normal. Sometimes we fail, and that’s on us. If you look at Mushfiq Bhai’s (Mushfiqur Rahim) innings in the first match, it wasn’t something a player with just one or two years of experience would suddenly pull off. Mushfiq Bhai has been playing for years, so he understands the game well. It’s not easy, but maturity comes into play. The more international matches you play, the more you improve. That’s why I said senior players will help and take responsibility.

Cricket97: Speaking of responsibility, three out of your four Test centuries have come in crisis moments. Do you think you’re Bangladesh’s 'Crisis Man'?

Litton Das: No, nothing like that (laughs). Crisis moments or not, as a batter, my job is to score runs, and I’ve done that. Even if I go to bat after 150 overs, my job will still be to score. I’ll try to capitalize on those opportunities. The thing is, every match presents an opportunity. In Test cricket, I have around 10-12 innings where I got out in the 70s. I feel if I had turned those into centuries, there wouldn’t be any talk of me being a 'Crisis Man,' and my career would’ve built up better. A batter’s job is to perform and score runs. There’s no need to overthink about crisis moments or anything else—whenever I go out to bat, my job is to score.

Cricket97:Before the India series, we saw you practicing some unique wicketkeeping drills. Was that preparation for keeping against spin?

Litton Das:Over the last few days, I’ve been focusing more on batting. My wicketkeeping practice was a bit less. It’s natural—keeping is part of my role too. On the fourth or fifth day of a Test, the pitch tends to get rough, making it difficult for both the batters and the keepers. I was preparing for that.

Cricket97:You’ve had a century in the Asia Cup final against India and a good knock in the T20 World Cup, but no big innings in Tests yet. Can we expect a big Test innings against India this time?

Litton Das:I always say this—no matter the format, my job is to score runs. Maybe I’ve done it in one format but not in another. Whenever I get the chance, I’ll try to score. Yes, sometimes you’ll fail, and you have to accept that. As I said, I’ll try, and we’ll see how it goes.

Cricket97:Coach Montu Dutta has worked with you since your childhood. How does he support you during tough times?

Litton Das: Montu Sir has known me since I was very young. When you’re with someone for so long, you understand their psychology. Sir knows my basics very well. Whenever I go through a tough time, he calls me and tries to point out weak areas. I work on those.

Cricket97: We all know that Coach Montu gives you money whenever you score a century. How much have you accumulated so far?

Litton Das: Not much, I think (laughs). I haven’t scored many runs in a while. But yes, I always enjoy getting money from Sir. The amount may be small, but since childhood, I’ve always looked forward to it. I’ll try to empty his pockets, but I don’t know how much I can do (laughs).