Can Bangladesh Players Carry BPL Form Into ICC Champions Trophy?
by Devesh Jaganath | by Devesh Jaganath
In-form Miraz, Ahmed To Lead Bangladesh Fight At The Champions Trophy
It has been almost a month since the conclusion of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) and the individual performances from the competition paved the way for several players to make the 15-man squad that will travel to Pakistan to contest their first-ever Champions Trophy this month. While the bowlers in the T20 tournament produced strong performances, the battling lineup, particularly the top order faced challenges with consistency.
One of the players who will enter the Champions Trophy brimming with confidence is all-rounder Mehidy Hasan Miraz, who finished eighth on the leading run-scorers list with 355 runs at an average of 132.95. He also claimed 13 wickets at an economy rate of 7.25, placing him 10th among the top wicket-takers. Miraz’s contributions were key to the Khulna Tigers’ campaign, albeit that they came up short, missing the final by bowing out in Qualifier 2. Following his stellar showing at the BPL, Miraz will now need to carry his form into the Champions Trophy, where the team are hoping he will be able to fill the void left by renowned all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan.
Next, Taskin Ahmed was the standout bowler of the T20 tournament, setting a new record for the most wickets in a single BPL edition with 25 scalps from just 12 matches at a remarkable average of 12.04. His best performance, 7/19, now ranks among the top three bowling figures in all of T20 cricket. Ahmed will be tasked with leading the Tigers’ bowling attack, where he will face the likes of India’s Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill, and Pakistan’s openers Fakhar Zaman and world ODI number one batsman Babar Azam. However, he will not be alone, as Tanzim Hasan Sakib also had an impressive BPL campaign, finishing seventh on the wicket-taking list with 16 in nine matches at an average of 18.18.
With the bat, the evergreen Mahmudullah once again showed his class, amassing 206 runs in seven innings at an average of 34.33 and a strike rate of 143.05. He also notched up two half-centuries, showing his ability to accelerate the scoring when required. Jakar Ali also had a solid campaign for Sylhet Strikers, scoring 241 runs in 12 innings at an average of 24.10 and a strike rate of 127.51. The duo’s contributions are likely to be massively important if the likes of skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto and Towhid Hridoy - both of whom had underwhelming performances at the BPL - are unable to rediscover their form at the Champions Trophy.
The Tigers begin their campaign against India in Dubai before facing New Zealand on 24 February and Pakistan on 27 February in Rawalpindi.
