Bangladesh cricket captain Liton Das has dismissed calls to resign following the team’s disappointing performance at the Asian Games, where they failed to secure a medal. Speaking at a post-match press conference, Liton acknowledged his own subpar contributions as well as the team’s overall shortcomings but affirmed his intention to remain as captain.

Bangladesh had entered the tournament with high expectations of winning a medal but suffered early setbacks, beginning with a loss to Pakistan and culminating in a heavy defeat by Sri Lanka that ended their campaign prematurely. Liton scored just two runs in the opening match and was dismissed without scoring against Sri Lanka.

“We came here with a big target, and when that did not happen, there was another option,” Liton said. “We had an opportunity, but we missed it. We could not play good cricket, that’s why we missed the opportunities.” He conceded that both his personal performance and the team’s batting were below the standard required to succeed.

Despite the losses and criticism, Liton rejected the notion of stepping down as captain. “My performance was not up to the mark. I could not perform well in both matches,” he said. “But there are ups and downs in cricket. One day will be good, one day will be bad. There is nothing to resign for.”

Against Sri Lanka, Bangladesh’s bowling initially kept the opposition under pressure, reducing them to 21 runs for the loss of four wickets early in the innings. However, a sustained counterattack from a Sri Lankan batter shifted momentum, enabling the opponents to recover and post a total of 165 for nine in 20 overs. Liton noted the difficulty his bowlers faced in countering the innings, attributing Sri Lanka’s turnaround to an extraordinary batting display that left Bangladesh unsure how to respond.

In reply, Bangladesh struggled from the outset, losing key batters cheaply. The top three—including Liton himself—were dismissed without scoring, leaving Bangladesh at a precarious four runs for three wickets. Despite efforts from Parvez Hossain Emon and Towhid Hridoy to stabilize the innings, wickets fell regularly, and Bangladesh were all out for 102.

Liton reflected on the disappointment felt by the team and himself as captain. “When you come from the country with a big target and cannot deliver that as a team, as a captain, everyone will feel bad. Feeling bad is natural.”

With their early exit, Bangladesh concluded their Asian Games cricket campaign without achieving the medal success they had targeted. Liton’s decision to retain the captaincy suggests a commitment to rebuilding in the aftermath of the tournament’s setbacks.