Colombo: Najmul Hossain Shanto's tenure as Test captain concluded today following Bangladesh's innings and 78-run defeat to Sri Lanka in Colombo. This loss resulted in a 1-0 series defeat for Bangladesh after the first Test ended in a draw in Galle.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Shanto's notable achievement as captain came last year when Bangladesh achieved a historic Test series sweep against Pakistan on their home soil. Despite this high point, Shanto's lowest moment came with a defeat to Zimbabwe at home, although Bangladesh managed to level the series by winning the second Test. Under his leadership, the team also secured a victory against New Zealand in November 2023.
Shanto's captaincy resulted in four Test wins for Bangladesh, making him the second-most successful captain alongside Shakib Al Hasan. Mushfiqur Rahim leads the chart with seven Test victories as captain. Shanto led Bangladesh in 14 Tests, ranking fifth overall behind Mushfiqur Rahim (34), Shakib Al Hasan (19), Habibul Bashar (18), and Mominul Haque (17).
In terms of win percentage, Shanto leads with 28.57%, the best among Bangladesh captains who have led in three or more Tests. As a batsman, Shanto also performed well during his captaincy, averaging 36.24 in Tests, which is the third highest among Bangladeshis who have captained the team in at least three Tests. Mahmudullah Riyad tops this list with an average of 59.44 in six Tests, followed by Mushfiqur Rahim with an average of 41.44.