Litton Das Aims for Championship Glory, Confident Ahead of Asia Cup

The curtain rises today on the 17th edition of the Asia Cup. Bangladesh first participated in this tournament in 1986, but despite decades of effort, the Tigers are yet to taste championship success. They reached the final in 2012, 2016, and 2018 but finished runners-up each time. This time, however, skipper Litton Das is determined to end that wait, declaring that the team’s primary goal is to win the title.

All participating captains gathered for a photoshoot and press meet on the opening day, where Litton shared his views.
"We haven’t tasted championship glory yet, but that’s history—and history is made to be broken. We’ll try to play good cricket. It won’t be easy; there will be challenges. But as a team, we’ll look to improve day by day," Litton said.

Bangladesh enter the tournament in strong form, having won three consecutive series against Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and the Netherlands. That success has given the team a major confidence boost.
"We’ve played three series in recent times and got success. The whole team is excited. But every team in the Asia Cup is strong. To win, we’ll need to give 100%, and that will be our biggest test," Litton explained.

Placed in Group B with Sri Lanka and Afghanistan, many experts—including Harsha Bhogle, Aakash Chopra, and Russel Arnold—have doubted Bangladesh’s chances of making it to the Super Four. Asked whether that underestimation adds extra motivation, Litton replied differently:
"No, there’s no extra urge to prove anyone wrong. We’ve been playing good cricket, had a good camp, and we’re well-prepared for the Asia Cup. Every team here is strong, and the matches will be challenging. We’re excited to take on that challenge and will try to give our hundred percent."

Bangladesh begin their Asia Cup campaign against Hong Kong on September 11 at 8:30 PM (local time) at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. Despite the bitter memory of a shocking loss to Hong Kong in the 2014 T20 World Cup at home, Litton is optimistic about a fresh start this time.
"We’ll try to play good cricket. It won’t be easy, but as a team we’ll focus on improving step by step and giving our hundred percent. The rest will follow naturally," the skipper concluded.