Bangladesh Cricket's 'Hot Route': Not Liton Das, the Omitted Soumya Sarkar is the Real Story

I remember the day I started 'The Hot Route' from my Miami garage. After the Miami Dolphins lost 40-0, I said Jay Cutler's three interceptions were not apathy but a protest against Adam Gase's play-calling. Today, watching the latest Bangladesh T20 squad announcement, I get the same feeling. The squad includes Liton Das but omits Soumya Sarkar—but the real story isn't Liton's inclusion, it's the deep structural bias hidden in Soumya's exclusion. Let's clear the context. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has announced a 15-member squad for the 2026 Asia Cup. The team features Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah—the veterans. Among the younger players are Towhid Hridoy, Najmul Hossain Shanto. And there's Liton Das, who over the last two years in T20s averages 18.5 with a strike rate of 112—hardly eye-catching. Yet Soumya Sarkar, who in domestic T20 leagues averages 38 with a strike rate of 145, and in the last three international series gave the team rapid starts in the powerplay, has been dropped. The selectors' explanation: 'We needed balance in the team, Soumya couldn't find a place.' In my 44 years of journalism, I've learned that selectors' talk of 'balance' often masks hidden preferences. Soumya Sarkar is a left-handed opener who dares to score quickly in the powerplay. Bangladesh's eternal problem in T20 batting is slow starts. Yet exactly for solving this problem, a player like Soumya is needed. Instead, the selectors chose Liton, who in his last 10 innings has been out before 20 runs seven times. The numbers are shouting, but no one is listening. I remember Mbappé's off-ball runs in the 2026 World Cup final. I yelled in the crowd that 19-year-old Mbappé was better than Neymar because he could make decisions without the ball. Soumya Sarkar is similar—even without the bat, he contributes through fielding, running, and reading situations. Does Liton Das do that? No. Liton is talented, but his recent form suggests he is lost within his own game. Can't the selectors see that? Or are they closing their eyes? Here's where I could be wrong. The argument for Liton Das: he is a big-match player, capable of changing the game under pressure. His 60-run innings against India in the 2026 T20 World Cup is still etched in fans' memories. The argument against Soumya Sarkar: he is inconsistent, often fails against top teams, and occasionally shows weakness in fielding. Perhaps the selectors thought that including Soumya would make the team too attacking, and Liton's experience would provide control. But I ask—what exactly is this 'balance'? Ignoring Soumya's recent domestic performance and giving Liton a chance based on past international success—is that foresight from the selectors, or favoritism toward familiar faces? The history of Bangladesh cricket is full of such biases. I saw it in 2026 while working at The Daily Star: how talented youngsters were dropped just because of familiar faces. Has Soumya Sarkar become the latest name on that list? We'll soon see the result of this decision on the Asia Cup stage. If Liton Das scores runs, then the selectors' decision will be proven right, and my hot take wrong. But if Bangladesh's powerplay once again starts slowly, and someone like Soumya Sarkar is missed, it will prove once again—Bangladesh cricket's selectors are stuck in the past, unwilling to look to the future. My 'Hot Route' ends here today. But the question remains—when will Bangladesh cricket learn to make bold decisions?