Litton’s dazzling show halted by rain

On a serene autumn evening at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium, the atmosphere carried a unique sense of excitement. White and blue clouds played hide-and-seek in the sky of a city weary from the humid heat of Bhadra. It almost felt as though nature itself was joining the cricketing festivity. As the day wore on, the clouds slowly changed color—white turning into black—and the heat began to ease. Against this backdrop, Bangladesh and the Netherlands took the field in the final T20I of the three-match series. Though the match eventually ended in abandonment due to rain, it was Litton Das who stole the show.

Litton's batting was filled with elegance, confidence, and aggression. With that dazzling display, he not only earned the Player of the Match award but was also named Player of the Series.

In this Bangladesh-Netherlands clash, the first hurdle came not from the opposition but from the floodlights, which suffered a mechanical glitch. Soon after, the dark clouds and drizzle became another obstacle. Amid interruptions and uncertainty, only Litton stood tall. Attacking the Dutch bowlers with authority, he played a sparkling innings of 73 off 45 balls. In the process, he surpassed Shakib Al Hasan’s record for most fifties in T20 internationals for Bangladesh.

Bangladesh skipper Litton had opted to bowl in the first two matches after winning the toss, but this time he lost it. Dutch captain Scott Edwards followed the same strategy and chose to field, sending Bangladesh in to bat first.

The hosts made five changes to their XI. Opening alongside Litton was Saif Hassan. Although Saif attempted an aggressive approach, it didn’t quite come off. He scored 12 runs from 8 balls, including 2 boundaries, before being bowled by Kyle Klein in the fourth over. The opening partnership added 39 runs in 19 balls, with Litton contributing 27.

Litton, however, looked unstoppable. In just the second over, he smashed Daniel Doram for three fours and a six, collecting 23 runs. His fluent strokes reflected confidence and dominance. Just as Bangladesh crossed 50, play was halted due to the floodlight issue.

Seven minutes later, the game resumed—only for rain to intervene. Litton was unbeaten on 42 off 16 balls at that point, with 4 fours and 2 sixes.

After a 30-minute delay, the match restarted, and Litton picked up where he left off. He brought up his fifty off 29 balls with 5 fours and 3 sixes, overtaking Shakib’s record of 13 T20I fifties to become Bangladesh’s leading half-century maker in the format.

At one stage, it looked as though he might even challenge Tamim Iqbal’s record for the highest individual score by a Bangladeshi in T20Is. That intent was clear. However, after a reprieve in the 70s, Litton couldn’t extend much further. He perished for 73 (6 fours, 4 sixes), caught by Max O’Dowd at mid-off attempting a big shot against Kyle Klein.

Towhid Hridoy (9 off 14) failed to capitalize, but cameos from Shamim Hossain (21), Zakir Ali (20*), and Nurul Hasan Sohan (22*) gave Bangladesh a strong finish. Zakir and Sohan added an unbeaten 42 off 23 balls for the fifth wicket.

At 8:30 p.m., rain returned with Bangladesh at 164 for 4 in 18.2 overs. Despite multiple inspections, the drizzle persisted, and at 9:45 p.m., the umpires called the match off.

Bangladesh had already sealed the series 2-0. Their hopes of a whitewash were washed away, with the Netherlands spared by the rain.

Litton Das was named Player of the Match for his 73 off 45 balls (6 fours, 4 sixes) and Player of the Series for scoring 145 runs with two fifties across three matches.