Shanto's Praise for Hridoy, Liton, and Rishad

In the opening match of the T20 World Cup, the victory against Sri Lanka has brought a wave of relief to the Tigers, who have been stuck in a cycle of defeats. This win has also restored confidence in the struggling batters.

Litton Das had been out of form recently, with runs not coming from his bat. However, Litton's bat shone against Sri Lanka. Supported by Towhid Hridoy's quick 40 off 20 balls, Bangladesh got close to victory. In the end, a brilliant finish from Mahmudullah Riyad secured the Tigers' first win in this World Cup.

In the post-match press conference, Captain Shanto praised Litton, Hridoy, and Riyad, saying, "Hridoy played a very good innings. Riyad bhai finished the game. Liton gave us a good start after a long time. Some areas are good. I hope those who get set on a particular day will ensure the match win. I don't expect all seven to perform well every day."

Bangladesh had long been searching for a leg-spinner like Rishad Hossain. Despite being in the team for a long time, he didn't get enough matches to prove himself. After Chandika Hathurusingha returned as Bangladesh's coach for the second stint, Rishad was given several opportunities, and he seized them. Against Sri Lanka, Rishad took 3 crucial wickets and was named Man of the Match.

When asked about Rishad, Shanto said to the reporters, "Rishad bowled exceptionally. He has been performing well over the last few series. The way he practices and his preparation are very good. We always struggled without a leg-spinner. That gap has been filled. I hope he continues to contribute in the upcoming matches."

Although Bangladesh won the match, concerns about the Tigers' batting remain. Soumya, Tamim, and Shanto all failed with the bat, putting Bangladesh under pressure early due to the top-order collapse.

Addressing the batting issues, Shanto said, "I don't think there is much reason to worry. It was a pressure match. At the end of the day, we wanted to win. Considering the result, we have gained two points. The batsmen might know that we didn’t play well. But not everyone will perform well every day."

Bangladesh's next World Cup match is on June 10, against South Africa. The match will start at 8:30 PM Bangladesh time.