Rony Talukdar and Litton Das Help Bangladesh Find Desired Aggression at the Top of The Order

Following the Retirment of Tamim Iqbal, Bangladesh were left searching for an opening partner for Litton Das. Meanwhile, Litton Das continued to reel in the runs as he took bowlers on from the onset. In the second T20 as well, Litton Das raced away to 50 in the first six overs. From the other end Rony Talukdar, who recently made his national team comeback after debuting in 2015 was slowly setting himself in. With Litton Das taking the role of the aggressor Rony was able to patiently play himself in.

Following the powerplay though, with a base set, Rony decided to take the bowlers on as well. In no time, Bangladesh was attacking from both ends and their openers quickly pushed on to get past the hundred run mark. In the last year Bangladesh went through nearly 16 opening pairs, with Das often a constant, while he too was rotated on a few occasions. Mehidy Hasan too was tried as an opener but his was a temporary experiment.

Soumya Sarkar was another player who started well and did a good job in the World Cup too. The option though failed to materialize as Soumya Sarkar lost form shortly after and was dropped. Now though, Rony and Litton are well settled and have complimented each other well.

Within their partnership there has been enough to show as factors for success. For starters, their running between the wickets and dot ball percentage has been good. In their partnership against Ireland they rotated strike pretty well and in both T20s their dot ball count was very low. Within the powerplay too, both batters are using the field restrictions nicely. Both have been quick to start with and are ready to take the bowlers on when they get the chance. Together, the pair has proven that they are capable of moving quick and both have enjoyed each others company at the top.

Another important factor has been the maturity shown by both batters. In their brief time together they have shown the ability to take the bowlers on together while also holding back to let the other batter have his fun. Both are also not willing to slow down after a good start which has been a huge issue for Litton Das in the past. Instead of giving his team a crisp start, Litton Das is now looking to stay in their and push on for a little longer, converting his start to a substantial score.

The pair came to light thanks to a good season from Rony Talukdar in the BPL. Both are enjoying each other’s company at the top and Talukdar in particular is thriving in his second chance as he helps Bangladesh unlock what could be a deadly combination at the top.