Asia Cup 2025: Litton Das Hails 'Importance Of Winning First Game' After Tigers Win Over UAE

Skipper Litton Das underlined the importance of starting strong in a major tournament after Bangladesh opened their Asia Cup T20 2025 campaign with a seven-wicket win over Hong Kong at the Sheikh Zayed International Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi.

“It’s very important to win the first game,” Litton said after being named Player of the Match for his fluent 59. “We played good cricket in the last two series. The pressure comes in the Asia Cup although we played really well tonight.”

Tanzim Sakib And Rishad Hossain Shine

Bangladesh’s bowlers set the tone early, restricting Hong Kong to 143/7. Tanzim Hasan Sakib (2/21) led the attack, with Taskin Ahmed and Rishad Hossain applying pressure through the middle overs.

Litton credited his bowlers for keeping control: “Last couple of years we have done really well. We were looking for a leg spinner and Rishad has done well in the last 2–3 years which helps the captain.”

Skipper Murtaza Rues Missed Chances

Hong Kong skipper Yasim Murtaza was left reflecting on missed opportunities despite his side’s improved batting display.

“To be honest, I’m happy with how our batters scored. But will be more happy if one of them had batted throughout the innings and scored 70–80,” he said. “We gave away too many freebies against Afghanistan. But today, we came with a plan. This is what we implemented in the middle. But Litton and the other batter had a good partnership.”

On his own run out, he admitted, “These kind of things happen in the ground. We know once we go back, the areas we want to work on.”

Nizakat Khan top-scored for Hong Kong with a fighting 42 off 40, but the innings lacked a big finish. The chase, meanwhile, got off to a shaky start for Bangladesh as Parvez Hossain Emon (19) and Tanzid Hasan (14) were removed inside the powerplay by Ayush Shukla and Ateeq Iqbal, leaving the score at 51/2.

Litton Das' Fighting Knock

It was then left to Litton to steady the innings. Coming in at No. 3, he anchored a 95-run stand with Towhid Hridoy, who remained unbeaten on 35 despite struggling to find fluency.

Litton’s 59 from 39 balls, featuring six fours and a six, was only the second 50+ score for Bangladesh in a Men’s T20I Asia Cup, after Sabbir Rahman’s 80 against Sri Lanka in 2016.

Reflecting on his innings, Litton said: “They batted really well. We had to bowl well in the middle overs. The ground was so big and the wicket looked at the slower side. We had to take ones and twos as well.”

He eventually fell to Iqbal, dragging a full delivery back onto his stumps when Bangladesh were just two runs away from victory. But by then, the job was done. Bangladesh wrapped up the chase in the 18th over, sealing their first points of the competition.

For Hong Kong, Iqbal (2/14) and Shukla (1/32) were the only wicket-takers, while Aizaz Khan bowled a tidy spell. Still, their second straight defeat leaves them under pressure going forward.