SHANTO QUITS: Bangladesh Test Captain Steps Down After Sri Lanka Series Loss
Najmul Hossain Shanto has resigned as Bangladesh’s Test captain immediately after his team’s comprehensive defeat to Sri Lanka in Colombo. The Tigers lost the second Test by an innings and 78 runs, sealing a 1-0 series loss.
The 26-year-old made the surprise announcement during the post-match press conference on Saturday. “I am stepping down from the Bangladesh Test captaincy,” Shanto told reporters. “I don’t want to continue as captain in this format.”
Three Captains, One Team
Shanto’s primary concern was Bangladesh’s leadership structure across formats. With Mehidy Hasan Miraz leading in ODIs and Litton Das captaining the T20I side, Shanto believed having three different captains was problematic.
“If the cricket board feels they will continue with three captains in three formats, that will be their decision,” he explained. “I believe this will help the team. It is entirely for the betterment of the team.”
The timing raised eyebrows, coming days after Shanto was replaced as ODI captain by Mehidy. However, he insisted the decision wasn’t personal. “I just hope people don’t see this as a personal issue or think I did this because I felt bad about the ODI captaincy snub,” he clarified.
Mixed Legacy in Red-Ball Cricket
Shanto’s Test captaincy record shows four wins from 14 matches. His tenure began with a victory over New Zealand in Sylhet last November. The highlight came with a series win against Pakistan in August 2024.
Despite the team’s struggles, Shanto’s personal form improved as captain. He averaged 36.24 while leading, compared to 29.83 before taking charge. In Sri Lanka, he became the first Bangladesh captain to score two centuries in a Test match.
The defeat in Colombo was comprehensive. Sri Lanka posted 458 in their first innings, with Pathum Nissanka scoring 158. Bangladesh managed just 247 and 133 in reply, with Prabath Jayasuriya taking five wickets in the second innings.
Bangladesh don’t play Test cricket again until October when they host Ireland. This gives the board time to identify Shanto’s successor. With Mehidy and Litton already leading in white-ball formats, one of them seems the logical choice for Test captaincy.
Shanto had informed the cricket operations department of his decision before making it public. His departure marks the end of Bangladesh’s brief experiment with unified leadership across formats, a role he inherited from Shakib Al Hasan in early 2024.
