Litton Das ditches Bangladesh for PSL, set to miss Zimbabwe Tests

Bangladesh wicketkeeper-batter Litton Das will miss the upcoming two-match Test series against Zimbabwe to play in the upcoming Pakistan Super League 2025 (PSL 2025). Litton Das confirmed his availability for the entire PSL 2025 season, prioritizing league commitments over national duty, as per Cricbuzz.

Surprisingly, Litton Das, who was picked by Karachi Kings in the PSL 2025 draft, was granted a No Objection Certificate (NOC) for the entire season of the upcoming Pakistan Super League 2025 season by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (PCB).

Litton Das to miss Zimbabwe Tests for PSL 2025

Meanwhile, Bangladesh pacer Nahid Rana has also received an NOC for the upcoming PSL 2025, but for a partial period, allowing him to participate in the tournament after playing the opening Test of the upcoming two-match Test series against Zimbabwe.

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Nahid Rana, who was picked by Peshawar Zalmi, got the partial NOC as part of workload management. On the other hand, the star leg-spinner Rishad Hossain received a full NOC from the BCB along with Litton Das, as he is not part of the Test setup. Rishad will represent Lahore Qalandars in the PSL 2025.

Amid the debate over the players prioritizing franchise cricket over national duty, Najmul Hossain Shanto, who recently led Bangladesh in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 and is a strong contender to retain captaincy, extended his support to the players including Litton Das participating in various leagues.

Najmul Hossain Shanto says BCB to grant the NOCs without hesitation

Shanto believes that the BCB should grant the NOCs to the players to take part in the various franchise leagues without hesitation. Notably, with Bangladesh's preparations for the upcoming Test series against Zimbabwe set to start from the second week of April, this series will coincide with the PSL 2025 scheduled from April 8 to May 19.

The two-match Test series between Bangladesh and Zimbabwe will take place from April 20 to May 2, making it tough for the players to fulfill their Pakistan Super League commitments.

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Meanwhile, Bangladesh head coach Phil Simmons opened up about his plans for the Tigers as they will play two ICC events—the 2026 ICC T20 World Cup and the 2027 ICC Cricket World Cup—in the next couple of years. He said that they have to start preparations for these events from now.

The T20 planning will start with the Asia Cup: Phil Simmons

Phil Simmons was quoted as saying by Daily Star, “We have to start putting things together, decide how we want to play T20 first of all, and then 50-over cricket. We need to figure out what is the best way for the Bangladesh team to play in order to win tournaments. The T20 planning will start with the Asia Cup. After that, we will assess what are the things that need to be changed, and we will make them in time. So, there is a lot to be done.”

Simmons said of Bangladesh’s performance in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025: “I think we just didn't bat well. That's one of the biggest takeaways. We can work on how we can score consistently and play risk-free from overs 11 to 35. Because we have done well in the Powerplay and death overs, we need to make sure we do well in those middle overs as well. That's where all the strong teams are doing really well.”