Champions Trophy: Bangladesh's biggest weakness ahead of the tournament

Bangladesh are among the eight teams preparing for the upcoming Champions Trophy. Placed in Group A alongside India, defending champions Pakistan, and New Zealand, they will begin their campaign on February 20 in Dubai against India. However, given their recent form in the 50-over format, the Tigers are expected to face a tough challenge.

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They have assembled the best available squad, but their middle order remains inconsistent. Much will depend on veterans Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah to provide stability. Tawhid Hridoy is another option, but how well these batters handle pressure—especially against quality spin on Dubai’s spin-friendly pitches in the middle overs—remains to be seen.

Bangladesh have left out some big names, including Litton Das and Shakib Al Hasan. Shakib’s exclusion was expected, as the veteran all-rounder is suspended from bowling in top-flight cricket due to an illegal action. He recently failed a second independent assessment of his action.

Litton, who recently played in the Bangladesh Premier League, addressed his omission in a media interaction. He said: "The Champions Trophy selection was not in my control. The selectors took the call. They decide whom to play. My job is to perform. I have not been able to do that."

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He admitted feeling disappointed but remained focused on improving. "I think I was a bit upset about it. The day has already passed. I have played a good knock, but it is in the past. I start from zero again. I will keep working hard, let's see what happens next."

Litton has been struggling for form in ODIs, failing to score double digits in his last seven innings. He acknowledged his poor run, saying, "I was given a clear message. Maybe not from the selectors, but it is easy to find out why I wasn't picked. I was dropped because I was not performing. There is nothing to hide about it. Basic, normal."

With their middle order under pressure, Bangladesh will need their batters to step up in the middle overs. Putting enough runs on the board will be crucial to giving their bowlers a better chance to turn matches in their favour. Even, while batting second, it all depends on those crucial middle overs to keep them alive in the run chase.

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