Bangladesh wicketkeeper-batter Litton Das opened up on his difficult IPL 2023 stint with the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), revealing feelings of being unwanted and unsupported by the franchise.

Litton claimed he was never in communication with the coaching staff during his first two matches on the bench. Instead, he was notified he would be playing the following day at 11 PM the night prior.

His only game was against the Delhi Capitals (DC) on April 20, 2023, where he scored just 4 runs and missed two stumping chances behind the stumps. He was subsequently dropped.

“I felt KKR didn’t really need me that much. The team also didn’t support me the way I expected,” Litton said while speaking on Bangladesh Cricket’s Char Chokka podcast.

He added, “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. Suddenly, at 11 PM, I got a message saying, ‘You will play.’”

While Litton conceded that his lone appearance did not go his way, he framed it as a difficult situation rather than just a poor show. “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,” he stated.

Litton Das was signed by KKR for his base price of Rs 50 lakh, with expectations surrounding his ability to bolster the side’s batting and wicketkeeping options. However, his IPL journey lasted just one match.

Following a family medical emergency, Litton returned to Bangladesh early and was subsequently released by KKR.

“Litton Das has had to return to Bangladesh earlier today due to an urgent family medical emergency. Our wishes go out to him and his family to make it through this difficult time,” KKR said in a statement at the time.

KKR later roped in West Indies wicketkeeper-batter Johnson Charles as Litton’s replacement for the remainder of IPL 2023.

Litton Das later went unsold at auction. In fact, Bangladesh’s representation in the IPL has remained limited in recent years. Ahead of the 2026 season, Mustafizur Rahman was the sole Bangladeshi player picked at auction. However, his participation stirred a political controversy, and he was eventually released by KKR on BCCI’s instructions even before the tournament began.