Liton was slated vehemently, it was derogatory for sure. Being touted as the next gen's best batter for Bangladesh to becoming derision by the nation is certainly tough.
It all started when he had a barren run in 2020 T20 WC. Scoring mere 133 runs at a meagre average of 16.62 with a strike rate of only 94.32. Add more, his poor fielding efforts were even more costly for Bangladesh in WC. Against SL, Liton dropped the catches of Asalanka and Rajapaksa who both came with vengeance to snap the match from Bangladesh. Things became more turbulent since then.
Liton’s apparition to the international arena was 2014 U-19 WC. Where he scored 239 runs playing just four innings. The young prodigy then made his debut for Rangpur Division. After his outings at U-19 level, he took his game to a different level and that was evident in his performances in first-class and List-A games. He struck five centuries and scored more than 1000 runs with an incredulous average of 85.33 in the National Cricket League.
With the credentials he's had in his profile and the class he showed in the domestic arena, selectors called him for national service. In June 2015 against India, Liton got his elusive Test cap. He scored a brisk 44 off 45 deliveries with some eye-catching shots, quite a promising advent to the international fraternity indeed.
Liton's flaming talent first came to the sight of Cricket pundits when he almost buried India’s dream in the Asia Cup final 2018. He played a swashbuckling inning of 121 off 117 deliveries which was orchestrated with 12 fours and two sixes. The spectators were awestruck and conferred Liton's sublime knock. His ability to take the game away from the opposition in a jiffy was still yet to come. Liton's 94* off 69 deliveries against Windies in 2019 WC was a glimpse of his calibre. When Liton bludgeoned Shannon Gabriel for three sixes in a trot it was a proper mockery to the bowler.
Despite some heroics, he was yet to be consistent, and his shorter format conundrum was yet to be solved. And hence, it was palpable to be thwacked by Bangladeshi fans with the extreme level of criticisms and taunts after the disastrous performance in T20 WC. Barring them all, he was promising in his white shirt, performing in the longest format of the game like a silent hero.
His reincarnation came after the T20 WC, where he got his mojo back in across formats. Liton is now the highest run-getter in 2021- 2023 WTC as a WK batter. In this phase so far he's played 18 innings and scored 883 runs which is the fifth highest overall at a jaw-dropping average of 49.05. Got three mammoth hundreds and struck five half centuries. Liton now ranks 13th in Test batting ranking, best by any Bangladeshi batter surpassing the veteran opener Tamim's previous best 14th number. His revert is like the thunderbolts of Summer which can be catastrophic for any formidable bowling lineup irrespective of conditions.
Defying all the odds and diatribes, extreme level of trolls and memes, mauling each naysayer he came back from debris. Like a medieval warrior, his own gave him his resurgence.
Liton's batting sounds akin to an adroit playing fiddle. His shots are calligraphy, alluring, superficially pulchritudinous, unblemished, and sometimes fervid. His batting gives water to oases. A purple-patched Liton Das is always a treat to the eyes as he reserves mesmerizing power covered in his willow.
When the trees bloom when the grass has a juicy green tint, when the birds return from the warm edges, when the flower beds, Liton nudges the ball through the off side and raises his bat for the most number of times for Bangladesh in front of a full packed coliseum. Is it a reverie? Time will tell surely, but the potential Liton has in his arsenal, it isn't intangible to ask him to ascend this pinnacle.
Long live Liton, long live.
