'Feared I was just a 60-70 player'

The battle between Legends of Rupganj chairman Lutfur Rahman Badal and the Bangladesh Cricket Board may have taken centre stage at the Dhaka Premier League this season, but a glance beyond the cloud of controversies will bring into picture the story of a shy 20-year-old batsman who is working ever so hard to come of age.
Liton Kumar Das has played just 14 List A games and 13 first-class matches in his career; but he has already managed to impress the selectors. The testament to that was the uncapped player's inclusion in the World Cup probables by Faruque Ahmed and co. While it is extremely unlikely for the freshman to make the final cut, his performance in the league must be making the selectors wish they had included him in the squad for one of the 'four' ODIs against Zimbabwe earlier this month.   
Halfway through the competition, Liton, with 568 runs in 10 matches, has easily been the most consistent batsman this season. He is also one of the main reasons why Abahani, sans the biggest stars of the competition, are still placed second.  
A realist, Liton knows that he still has many more obstacles to overcome before he can don the national jersey. He however remains positive and considers the recent events as a landmark in his career progress.
“I think being in the preliminary squad, in a sense, opens a path for a player to go further up. It's an opportunity; like the time I was in the camp for the Zimbabwe series. I get to learn a lot from big players. These are all good signs,” Liton told The Daily Star following his training session at the Abahani club on Saturday.
Liton scored his first List A century against Kalabagan Cricket Academy in the last DPL game last Thursday; an innings which relieved him off a growing pressure.  
“I was a bit nervous this season, because I kept getting out after scoring a 60 or a 70. So yes, I was really excited to finally get the century and the feeling was quite unique. There was this hunger because I had not scored one for a long time. Until the century, I feared maybe I was just a 60-70 player,” Liton revealed.
So is it a daunting feeling for a youngster to stay on top of Bangladesh's most valued domestic competition? Not quite. “The feeling is good but what will eventually count is my average at the end of the season. I have played a few good matches but I will truly know where I stand after the season. I am trying to finish big,” he hoped.
The 20-year-old, whose idols include Michael Clarke and Mark Boucher, isn't thinking about targeting a specific timeline for his international debut; he would rather focus on the domestic circuit and continue chipping in with these performances until the selectors are compelled to take him in. As he puts it, “If you have the runs on your bat, then everything's perfect.”
A prediction about Liton's future at this moment would be extremely premature. However, at least for the sake of the league, one would want the 'dark horse' to do well and help regain the excitement that the league has lost this season.