The Bangladesh cricket team faced a tough situation where losing to Afghanistan could have hurt their chances of moving forward, even if they didn’t win by a big margin.
In this tense moment, Mehedi Hasan Miraj stepped up as an opening batsman, a risky move by Shakib Al Hasan’s team, using a lower-order batter as an opener. Fortunately, this gamble paid off as Bangladesh convincingly beat Afghanistan in the Super Four.
Bangladesh’s next challenge comes on Wednesday at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium, where they’ll face Pakistan in their first Super Four match. Pakistan has a strong pace attack, better than Afghanistan’s, which raises questions about Miraj’s ability to face some of the season’s best fast bowlers.
Miraj, confidently, said, “I’m always ready to face any bowler.” His impressive innings of 112 runs against Afghanistan in a must-win match played a big part in Bangladesh’s highest total in the Asia Cup. Captain Shakib might consider him as an opener against Pakistan, where he’ll have to deal with bowlers like Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, and Naseem Shah.
Facing Shaheen Afridi with the new ball is a tough challenge for any batsman, but Miraj isn’t worried. He said, “I’m not concerned about any bowler. My aim is to perform well in the middle order. However, if the team decides, I’m open to batting at the top.”
Bangladesh’s place in the Super Four is secure, and if Sri Lanka and India also advance, Bangladesh will play two matches against them in Colombo. There’s a fun rivalry between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka known as the “Nagin Dance,” which started in the Nidahas Trophy. Miraj acknowledges this rivalry with a smile, saying, “Absolutely. Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have had a friendly rivalry over it, and it all began in the Nidahas Trophy.”
