'Litton will bounce back': Perera backs Dhaka opener after another disappointing display
Reflecting on his team's performance, Perera noted that the challenging pitch conditions contributed to Dhaka's struggles, but he believed they were still in a position to turn things around.
Despite Litton Das' ongoing struggles with the bat, Dhaka Capitals' captain Thisara Perera remains confident that the opener will return to form.
Speaking in the post-match press conference following Dhaka's 20-run defeat to Khulna on 5 January 2025, Perera expressed his unwavering support for Litton, who has been battling poor form in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).
"Litton is a very good player. Every player goes through failures. I've had many frustrating times, and so will you—it's just part of life. It's all in the hands of time. As a professional cricketer, you have to come back stronger. I believe Litton isn't in touch at the moment, but he is undoubtedly one of our most important players. He will bounce back," Perera stated.
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Litton's latest failure came after he was dismissed for just 2 runs off 3 balls against Khulna, attempting to clear the boundary off Mehidy Hasan Miraz but instead handing the catch to Ibrahim Zadran.
This followed his record-setting duck on Thursday, 2 January, against Rajshahi, making it his 10th duck in the top order in BPL history, surpassing the previous record held by Anamul Haque Bijoy.
Reflecting on his team's performance, Perera noted that the challenging pitch conditions contributed to Dhaka's struggles, but he believed they were still in a position to turn things around.
"It wasn't easy to bat on this wicket initially. The spinners were getting a lot of help, and I was struggling. In my first 17-20 balls, I scored just six runs," he explained. "But on this pitch, once you play 30-40 balls, it becomes easier to bat. Unfortunately, we couldn't execute our plans. We lost momentum in the powerplay, which made it harder to chase this target."
After Dhaka Capitals found themselves in a precarious position, losing six wickets for just 41 runs, captain Thisara Perera took charge to keep his team's hopes of a successful chase alive. Perera, alongside Chaturanga de Silva, forged an unbeaten partnership of 112 runs, setting a new record for the highest seventh-wicket stand in T20 history.
This landmark partnership surpassed the previous record, which was also set in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL). Last season, Sylhet Strikers' Ariful Haque and Benny Howell had combined for 108 runs in a similar situation, after six wickets had fallen for just 40 runs.
Reflecting on his partnership with Chaturanga, Perera explained, "I told him to give me opportunities whenever possible, and he did that well. There were moments when he wanted to take the attack to the bowlers, but I convinced him otherwise. The good thing is he trusted me. I was set on the wicket, so I felt it was the right time to go for the big shots. We've played together in the national team for years, so he understood exactly what I was saying."
