Simmons backs out-of-form Litton to bounce back in second T20I

• Simmons backs out-of-form Litton to bounce back in second T20I

Bangladesh head coach Phil Simmons admitted that T20I captain Litton Kumar Das is short on confidence, and the team is working hard to help him rediscover his form ahead of the second T20I against Sri Lanka in Dambulla on Sunday (July 13). Sri Lanka currently lead the three-match series 1-0, having won the opening T20I by seven wickets.

Litton has not scored a fifty in his last 17 international innings across ODIs and T20Is, with his last half-century in international limited-overs cricket dating back to June 2024. He was left out from the ODI XI after a first-ball duck in the first 50-over match, and managed just six in the first T20I. "I think his confidence is a bit low. We know what he can produce. We are working hard to get him to that stage. Hopefully he can get there in the next match," Simmons said.

Simmons added that a decision on Jaker Ali, who missed the first T20I due to a quad injury, will be taken closer to the match. It is understood that Jaker was eager to play and might have made the XI had he been allowed to keep wickets, but the team management chose not to take that risk.

"Jaker got injured before the third ODI. We are going to see how he is tonight, and make a decision on his position tomorrow," said Simmons "We will see what's happening here tonight. We will see the wicket and make the decision, whether we want to go with the same team or change up things," said Simmons.

The Bangladesh head coach also defended the decision of going in with four openers in the first match. "People have to look at what's happening. Jaker was injured, so who else are we going to play there? One of the bowlers? People have to be realistic. We had to play a batsman (in Jaker's place). Adaptation is a big thing in this format. Players have to adapt. In this format, openers sometimes play at number five or six," said Simmons.

"The next plan is to do better at the stuff that we weren't good enough in the last game. We have to get more runs and bowl better in the first six (overs). We need to improve with certain things at certain levels to be competitive with them. That's what we are looking to do."