Litton Das Eyes Asian Games Gold: Bangladesh's Rare Shot at History

Dr. Annelies De Vos · 2026-09-24

Bangladesh captain Litton Das has one thing on his mind right now: gold. The wicketkeeper-batter spoke with journalists in Mirpur on September 23, 2026, just before his squad flew out to Nagoya for the Asian Games men's cricket competition in Japan. He didn't mince words. Das called the multi-sport event a rare opportunity for his players to chase down a major national dream. The team, he said, heads into the tournament with thorough preparation and one clear goal — reaching the final. ### Bangladesh Walks Straight Into the Quarter-Finals Here's something that gives Bangladesh a real head start. Asian Games organizers handed them direct entry into the quarter-finals, alongside India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. That's four teams skipping the preliminary grind entirely. - Bangladesh's opening knockout fixture lands on September 29, 2026 - The preliminary league stage runs from September 24 to 26, 2026 - Quarter-final opponents get decided once those league matches wrap up The delegation splits across two flights to Japan, departing Thursday evening and night. The squad will base its entire campaign in Nagoya. And the math is simple from there: three straight wins, and they take the title. ### A Captain Finally Getting His Asian Games Moment This is Das's first Asian Games, which says a lot. He and several senior players missed the 2023 edition because the schedule clashed with the 50-over ICC Cricket World Cup. So yeah, there's some unfinished business here. Bangladesh's men won gold at the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou, China. That victory still stands as the only gold medal Bangladesh has ever claimed in Asian Games history — across every sport. Since then, the men's cricket team has picked up bronze in 2014 and 2023, while the women's side has collected two silvers and a bronze. Das didn't stop at nostalgia, though. He tied a strong showing in Japan to something bigger: Bangladesh's pathway toward qualifying for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, where cricket officially returns. > "The Asian Games is a different ball game," Das said, pointing to the added incentive of competing alongside athletes from other disciplines. ### Limited Match Rhythm, But No Shortage of Belief Let's be honest about the form book. Bangladesh played eight T20 Internationals in 2026, winning three and losing five. Those fixtures came against New Zealand, Australia, and Zimbabwe. Their last T20 success? July 2026, a 2-1 series win over Zimbabwe. That's not exactly a hot streak. But Das pushed back on the idea that franchise cricket and bilateral tours tell the whole story. He urged his teammates to soak up experience in international franchise leagues, name-checking former captains Shakib Al Hasan and Mustafizur Rahman as players whose global appearances opened doors for Bangladeshi cricket. ### A Late Squad Shake-Up Bad news hit shortly before departure. Fast-bowling allrounder Mohammad Saifuddin picked up a right hamstring injury during training, and medical tests ruled him out of the entire tournament. National selectors moved fast, calling up 29-year-old mystery offspinner Aliss Al Islam as his replacement. Aliss earned his maiden call-up to the senior national T20 squad after strong performances for Bangladesh A in an unofficial One-Day International series in South Africa. His inclusion widens Bangladesh's spin-bowling options — a handy card to hold in Japanese conditions. So here's where things stand: a captain chasing his first Asian Games appearance, a squad with something to prove, and a direct path to the quarter-finals. Three wins separate Bangladesh from a second gold medal. For Das, that's the rare opportunity worth every mile of the trip.