‘I’m no different’: Hridoy admits struggle after Hong Kong innings

Towhid Hridoy walked off unbeaten in Bangladesh's seven-wicket win over Hong Kong in Abu Dhabi on Thursday, but the right-hander's 35 off 36 balls -- though enough to see the Tigers home with 20 balls to spare -- hardly looked convincing.

On the eve of the match, Hridoy had found some rhythm in training after having looked out of sorts in the first practice session there. But in the middle, the timing again deserted the 24-year-old.

"I tried a few shots but the ball just wasn't coming onto the bat," he said afterwards in the post-match press conference.

"Maybe with one or two more overs, or if I could've finished it off, things might have looked better."

His recent scores in T20Is -- 35 off 36, 9 off 14, and 36 off 37 -- reflect the struggle to match the tempo the format demands. Once considered one of Bangladesh's most promising T20 batters, his place in the team is now under scrutiny.

Hridoy, however, remains candid about his form. "There's a lot of room for improvement and I'm working on it every day. Whatever is in my control, I keep trying.

"Yes, I'm struggling. All batters around the world struggle at times, I'm no different," he opined.

Hridoy's last half-century came almost a year ago -- an unbeaten 63 off 42 balls against India in October. Since then, in 13 innings, he has crossed 125 strike-rate in only three times, while on eight occasions it was equal or below 100.

"Maybe I'm not able to convert my starts into big scores. I've had a few innings where I got out in the 30s. I'm trying to push myself one step further. If I can just add a couple of boundaries in those moments, the whole picture of the innings could change."