From ‘Lord Shanto’ to a true cricketing lord

Once a frequent target of social media trolls, Najmul Hossain Shanto has now turned the very nickname used to mock him into a symbol of achievement.

Whenever runs were hard to come by, the familiar tag “Lord Shanto” would return. His poor dismissals, slow batting and failures to meet expectations made him a regular subject of ridicule. But cricket, as they say, gives the best answers with time.

Today, Shanto is writing his name into Bangladesh’s cricket history with one achievement after another. His growing list of accomplishments as captain has transformed the once-mocking nickname into something that almost resembles a badge of honour.

Bangladesh’s historic nine-wicket victory over Australia in Darwin on Sunday had Shanto at its heart. It was Bangladesh’s first-ever Test victory on Australian soil, ending a 26-year wait since the country gained Test status in 2000.

Leading Bangladesh to that historic triumph added another major achievement to Shanto’s growing record as captain.

But defeating Australia is far from his only landmark achievement.

Shanto’s leadership breakthrough came in 2023 when Bangladesh defeated New Zealand in a Test in Sylhet. It was Bangladesh’s first Test victory over New Zealand on home soil and marked one of Shanto’s first major successes as captain.

Later that year, he became part of two more historic victories in New Zealand. Bangladesh defeated the hosts in an ODI in Napier, securing their first-ever ODI win over New Zealand on New Zealand soil. A few days later, Bangladesh also defeated the Kiwis in a T20I at the same venue.

That made Shanto the Bangladesh captain under whom the country recorded its first ODI and T20I victories over New Zealand on their home ground.

Shanto’s list of achievements grew further in 2024.

Bangladesh toured Pakistan for a two-Test series in Rawalpindi and produced one of the biggest results in the country’s Test history. The Tigers won the series 2-0, securing their first-ever Test series victory over Pakistan.

Bangladesh also recorded a Test victory over Pakistan on Pakistani soil for the first time.

Both historic achievements came under Shanto’s leadership.

Shanto’s impact has not been limited to captaincy. He has also established himself as a record-breaking batter.

He holds the highest ODI score by a Bangladesh captain. In 2024, he scored an unbeaten 122 against Sri Lanka, a mark no other Bangladesh captain has surpassed in ODIs.

His Test batting record is even more remarkable.

In 2025, during a Test against Sri Lanka in Galle, Shanto scored centuries in both innings. He made 148 in the first innings and remained unbeaten on 125 in the second.

With that performance, he became the first Bangladesh Test captain to score centuries in both innings of the same match.

Shanto also leads Bangladesh’s captains in Test centuries. In May 2026, he scored a century against Pakistan to complete his fifth Test hundred as captain, moving clear at the top of the list.

Nine Test wins and counting

Bangladesh’s historic victory over Australia was his ninth Test win as captain, making him the most successful Test captain in Bangladesh’s history in terms of victories.

He had earlier become the fastest Bangladesh captain to reach seven Test wins, achieving the milestone in just 17 Tests.

Shanto’s journey is therefore about much more than an individual cricketer finding form. It is a story of answering criticism through performance.

The player once mocked on social media as “Lord Shanto” has now led Bangladesh to historic victories in New Zealand, Pakistan and Australia.

A Test win over New Zealand at home, ODI and T20I victories in New Zealand, a Test win and series victory in Pakistan, and Bangladesh’s first Test victory on Australian soil, Shanto’s name is attached to all of them.

“Lord” was once a word used to ridicule him. Today, it carries an entirely different meaning.

The trolling may not disappear overnight, but one thing is becoming increasingly difficult to deny: Shanto’s achievements have earned him a place in Bangladesh cricket history.

Once the ‘Lord’ of trolls, Najmul Hossain Shanto is now a true lord of the record books.