While Bangladesh is preparing for the 3rd T20 against New Zealand at Mirpur today, a record is silently waiting to be written in the country’s cricketing history.
Should skipper Mahmudullah Riyad step on the crease, he will become the first Bangladeshi player and only the 9th ever to play 100 T20I games.
As Bangladesh is looking to seal the series today, Mahmudullah couldn’t have hoped for a better opportunity to celebrate the moments.
Mahmudullah Riyad, since his debut in 2007, has been a regular and important figure in Bangladesh’s T20 side. And he has been a protagonist for many historic moments of the Bangladesh cricket team.
Be it the match-winning knock against Sri Lanka in Nidahas Trophy, be it the match-winning knock against Pakistan in Asia Cup 2016, be it the half-century against Australia in the series-winning game, or be it elsewhere — he was always there for the team.
Mahmudullah holds quite a few records for Bangladesh in the T20s. Beginning with the most matches played, he is the second-highest scorer with 1702 runs, has the most number of catches (37), the highest ever partnership for any wicket (132 with Tamim Iqbal vs Windies in 2012), and the most impressive one — winning the most number of matches as a captain in T20 (12).
With a career decorated with 1702 runs with an average of 23.97 and 32 wickets, captaining the side to the first win against India, Australia and New Zealand and a first series win against Australia — it’s only fair that he'd be the first player from Bangladesh to achieve such an incredible feat.
History awaits him as winning the game means Bangladesh's first-ever series win against the Kiwis in T20 internationals.
The writer is currently an HSC graduate from Dhaka Residential Model College
ahnaf.sabit10@gmail.com