Rangpur Riders on Friday confirmed that Liton Das will lead the side for the remainder of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).
Rangpur ended the Sylhet phase of the tournament on a disappointing note, losing three matches in a row, which delayed their confirmation of a playoffs berth as three other teams secured their places before the Dhaka phase began.
Liton replaces Nurul Hasan Sohan as captain after the latter struggled with form, scoring just 30 runs in six innings across eight matches in this year's BPL.
Team head coach Mickey Arthur revealed that Sohan voluntarily stepped down from the leadership role to concentrate on improving his own performance.
Rangpur acquired Liton, the Bangladesh national team's T20 captain, at the players' draft for Tk 70 lakh.
However, he had so far featured only as a batter for the franchise, without wicketkeeping or leadership responsibilities. Liton himself has endured a modest campaign, scoring 162 runs in eight matches at a strike rate of 135.
Although Rangpur are yet to mathematically confirm their place in the playoffs, their progression to the knockout stage appears highly likely. The Riders have won four of their eight matches and currently sit fourth on the points table with eight points. Their nearest rivals, Dhaka Capitals and
Noakhali, have each won two of their four matches.
Liton believes the task of securing a playoffs berth will not be difficult.
"I don't think it will be much of a challenge, because right now if we win one match, we will qualify for the playoffs," Liton said on Friday.
"This is very important for us. If we can progress match by match, we can go to the final. If we can play good cricket, the opportunity will come." "BSS
