Dashing wicket-keeper batter Litton Das praised Sylhet Strikers’ batter Najmul Hossain Shanto of for his tough mentality and resilient attitude.
Shanto had been out of form for a long time, which led to his exclusion from the national team's T20I squad. But he was recalled into the T20 World Cup squad and sparked in the competition being the highest-run scorer for Bangladesh
According to Litton, Shanto was able to make a comeback due to his determination and strong mentality.
“Shanto is mentally strong. Since he has been dealing with these for a long time…. If you have a fever, you will be disappointed. But when it becomes regular, you won’t care about it. Shanto once stated in an interview that when he plays, he does not play against the opposing team, but against the entire country. It's extremely difficult for a player,"
“Shanto played well in the World Cup. He turned around from that place. I think he is a mentally strong, so there is nothing to doubt. He knows what to do. There will be good and bad phases. He’s mentally tough as I am,” he added.
Sylhet Strikers won the first five of six matches in BPL where Shanto scored 43*, 48, 19, 57, 12 and 13 respectively. Shanto was also the top-scorer of Bangladesh by 180 runs in the T20 World Cup which was held in Australia.
Meanwhile, Liton Das struck an eye-catching 42 ball-70 on a difficult pitch as Comilla Victorians handed Sylhet Strikers their first defeat in the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), securing a five-wicket victory at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium on Tuesday. Sylhet which won five straight matches before their first defeat, recovered from a shaky 53-7 to post 133-7, a score that looked challenging on this slow pitch. But Liton took the pitch out of the equation with a jaw-dropping knock that sailed the side home with an over to spare.
The magnitude of Liton's highly classical knock was evidenced in how the other batters of Comilla struggled. The second best knock came from Johnson Charles who struck an unbeaten 18 and was key in holding together the innings after Liton's dismissal.
When Liton was dismissed after hammering seven fours and four sixes in his 42 ball-70 runs knock, Comilla looked to close in on victory as they needed just 23 runs from 33 balls. But since the pitch was difficult for the new batters, Sylhet still had the chance. Johnson held his nerve to ensure that Liton's magnificent knock wouldn't go in vain.
Liton unleashed some beautiful shots to make Sylhet bowlers disarray right from the beginning. Even though Sylhet trapped Mohammad Rizwan run out for 15 and got rid of captain Imrul Kayes for 18, Liton's knock denied Sylhet's supremacy over Comilla. Eventually his knock proved to be vital in Comilla's second straight victory after three defeats in a row in the tournament.
