Bangladesh Cricket has been struggling with their opening batters for a while now.
The prolific Virat Kohli, Joe Root, Steve Smith and Kane Williamson all enhanced their burgeoning reputations in 2016 but, aided by the screams of commentator Ian Bishop to "remember the name", the year will forever belong to Carlos Brathwaite.
Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah combined have played 391 games in the shorter versions of the game. And they were perhaps the most experienced batsmen that Bangladesh had to stroke those two runs off the last three balls to create a small piece of history at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore yesterday.
Mathematically Bangladesh are still in the running for a place in the last four of the ICC World T20 despite two consecutive defeats against Pakistan and Australia. But the reality before today's clash against India at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore is that they will fight for a lost cause in the context of the tournament, but for a very important cause as far as their own pride is concerned.
After a one-day washout followed by a Test snub, the Tigers will finally have their first sight of the mighty Australia in the glamorous ICC flagship event at a neutral venue today.
Bangladesh's ICC World Twenty20 campaign received a setback yesterday as the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced that they had found the bowling actions of both Arafat Sunny and Taskin Ahmed to be illegal.
Opener Tillakaratne Dilshan smacked an unbeaten 83 off 56 balls to steer defending champions Sri Lanka to a six-wicket win over a spirited Afghanistan in the World Twenty20 on Thursday.
Bangladesh suffered a painful 55-run defeat against Pakistan in their opening Super Ten match at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata yesterday. It's a flat statement that deserves a better expression. The Tigers lost to the pyrotechnics of one Shahid Afrid, who rediscovered his big-hitting exploits at a time when many thought he is no longer the kind of devastating force he has been over the years.
A confident Bangladesh will look to carry their recent home dominance over Pakistan over to the ICC World T20 proper today. The Group 2
Opener Tillakaratne Dilshan smacked an unbeaten 83 off 56 balls to steer defending champions Sri Lanka to a six-wicket win over a spirited Afghanistan in the World Twenty20 on Thursday.
Bangladesh suffered a painful 55-run defeat against Pakistan in their opening Super Ten match at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata yesterday. It's a flat statement that deserves a better expression. The Tigers lost to the pyrotechnics of one Shahid Afrid, who rediscovered his big-hitting exploits at a time when many thought he is no longer the kind of devastating force he has been over the years.
A confident Bangladesh will look to carry their recent home dominance over Pakistan over to the ICC World T20 proper today. The Group 2
Tamim knew it was coming. So did his coach Chandika Hathurrusingha. And that is why the left-handed opener rolled his fingers over his head as a mark of respect towards the dugout after those celebratory punches in the air moments after becoming the first Bangladesh batsman to score a T20I century. Do not forget, he has also become Bangladesh's first batsman to score 1000 runs in the shortest version of the game.
As it stands at the moment, Bangladesh will go through to the Super 10s of the ICC World Twenty20 by virtue of a better net run-rate if their final qualifying game against Oman at Dharamsala is a washout today. And if we go by the weather forecast, there is a strong possibility of that after two abandoned games on Friday due to heavy rain.
Bangladesh's abandoned ICC World Twenty20 qualifier against Ireland at Dharamsala last night will be remembered for one fine knock
Bangladesh launched their ICC World T20 campaign on the right track but not before a few goose-bumps against the spirited Netherlands, who almost ran down the Tigers' competitive 153 before falling eight runs short in their opening ICC World T20 qualifier at Dharamsala yesterday.
Scotland miss the chance to record a first victory at a World Twenty20 as Afghanistan held on to win by 14 runs in Nagpur.
Zimbabwe beat Hong Kong by 14 runs in ICC World T20 Qualifier at Nagpur, riding on Vusi Sibanda's first T20I fifty and Elton Chigumbura's audacious finishing.
It would be a lie if one were to say that defeat to India in the final of the Asia Cup did not hurt the Tigers at all. However, that they reached the final will be a confidence boost ahead of the ICC World Twenty20 in India, where they reached yesterday to take part in the qualifying round.
