Najmul Hossain Shanto has officially resigned as Bangladesh’s Test captain following a 1-0 series defeat to Sri Lanka, marking the end of his 14-match tenure at the helm. The 26-year-old made the announcement after Bangladesh suffered an innings-and-78-run loss in the second Test at Colombo, citing the decision as one made for the “betterment of the team”.
🗣️ Shanto: “This Is Not Personal”
In a post-match press conference, Shanto clarified that his resignation was not an emotional reaction to the defeat but a strategic move to streamline leadership across formats.
“I don’t want to continue [as captain] in the Test format anymore. This is not personal. I think this will help the team,” he said. “Three separate captains for three formats is not sensible. I will support whatever the board decides”.
Shanto had earlier stepped down as T20I captain and was recently replaced by Mehidy Hasan Miraz as ODI skipper, making this his third leadership exit in under a year.
🏏 Strong Personal Form Despite Team Struggles
Despite the series loss, Shanto was Bangladesh’s standout performer:
- Scored 300 runs in two Tests, including twin centuries in the first Test at Galle
- Became the only Bangladesh batter to score two centuries in a Test more than once
- Ended his captaincy stint with a batting average of 36.24, significantly higher than his pre-captaincy average of 29.83
📉 Bangladesh’s Test Record Under Shanto
| Matches | Wins | Losses | Draws |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | 4 | 9 | 1 |
Notable victories included a historic series whitewash in Pakistan in August 2024 and a win over New Zealand in Sylhet in November 2023.
🔄 Who’s Next?
With Shanto stepping down, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) is expected to announce a new Test captain ahead of their next red-ball assignment against Ireland in October. Currently, Litton Das leads the T20I side, while Mehidy Hasan Miraz captains the ODI team.
Stay tuned for updates on Bangladesh’s next Test captain.
