Bangladesh wicketkeeper-batter Litton Das has been open about his short and unsatisfactory tenure with the Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League 2023 season. He claims the team did not provide him with the support he needed and did not communicate effectively. In an interview with Bangladesh Cricket’s Char Chokka podcast, Litton discussed his brief IPL tenure and implied that he never felt fully integrated into the structure.
“I felt KKR didn’t really need me that much. The team also didn’t support me the way I expected,” Litton said.
The Bangladeshi international disclosed that he was hurried to get ready at the last minute because his inclusion in the playing XI was unexpected.
“Usually, a player is informed before a match that they will be playing the next day, or something along those lines. I had been sitting out for two matches, and there was no such discussion with me at all,” Litton said.
“Suddenly, at 11 PM, I got a message saying, ‘You will play.’ I tried with whatever energy I had. In cricket, sometimes things go your way, and sometimes they don’t. That day just wasn’t mine.”
Litton Das In IPL
ALitton joined KKR with the hope of bolstering the team’s hitting and wicketkeeping options after being acquired for his basic price of Rs 50 lakh. However, he only played in one IPL game.
He only made one appearance, opening the batting against the Delhi Capitals, but scoring just four runs off four deliveries. It turned out to be a forgettable match, and Litton had a challenging evening behind the stumps as KKR lost because he missed two crucial stumping opportunities.
Litton was left out of the starting lineup after that game and did not play again before making an early return to Bangladesh for family matters. After an uneven season, KKR finished seventh in the standings and missed out on the playoffs.
In response to that dismal season, the team made significant structural adjustments, including bringing back Gautam Gambhir as a mentor. KKR’s fortunes were completely changed by the move, and the team recovered to win their third IPL championship the next season. But Litton had already been freed and later failed to find a buyer at auction.
In recent years, Bangladesh has had very little presence in the IPL. Mustafizur Rahman, who was recruited by KKR for Rs 9.20 crore, was the lone Bangladeshi player selected at auction prior to the 2026 season. But due to political issues surrounding his participation, he was eventually released prior to the tournament’s start.
