ZCZC
BSP-20
CRICKET-DP-MAHEDI-PLAN
Dhaka’s gamble with Mahedi pays off
DHAKA, Dec 23, 2019 (BSS) – Dhaka Platoon’s gamble to promote Mahedi Hasan as No.3 batsman paid off high dividend as the young batsman played a majestic 29 ball-59 runs knock to make the chase a relatively easy for his team.
Mahedi’s whirlpool knock eventually helped Dhaka platoon to win the game against Cumilla Warriors by five wickets in the Bangabandhu Bangladesh Premier League (BBPL) today at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram.
In the chase of Cumilla’s 160-3, Dhaka fell in early trouble losing the opener Anamul Haque Bijoy for duck. With off-spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman operating in the power-play, it was tough for the Dhaka’s seasoned left-hand opener Tamim Iqbal to accelerate the scoreboard.
Mahedi was promoted in the top order mainly with an intention to neutralize Mujeeb-effect and paced the innings. This was a gamble, considering the fact that Mahedi didn’t bat up in the order that much.
However Mahedi said he has nothing to lose but only to gain and thereby he went for berserk right from the beginning. His finally struck two fours and seven sixes but more importantly made the Cumilla’s plan with bowling completely disarray.
“It’s tough to play Mujeeb and on the other hand my wicket was valueless. So the team management sent me up in the order to handle Mujeeb. Generally I play well against off-spinner. So I took my opportunity and became successful,” Mahedi said after the match.
“If you look at my innings in domestic cricket, you will see that I can hit the ball well. BPL is different place. Here I didn’t get the chance to bat up in the order. I normally batted at No.9 or 10 position, from which it is tough for me to hit the ball from the beginning,” he added.
Mahedi was honest in his admission that he couldn’t play pace bowlers well in the death overs but when he gets power-play today and an off-spinner in Mujeeb he could take his opportunity.
“Actually at the death over, pace bowlers sends yorker, slower delivery, which for me is tough to deal with. I am good hitter of new ball and can use the power-play, so coach decided to send to bat up in the order in this match,” he remarked.
“Since Mujeeb is an off-spinner, I got my opportunity to take him. And I became successful. I was trying to not allow the bowlers to settle,” said Mahedi, adding that the seven sixes he struck in this match is highest for him in his T20 cricket.
When Mahedi was playing with such an ease, the other batsmen seemed to have struggled a bit. Even Tamim Iqbal played 40 balls to score 34.
“The plan was when I would play the shots, Tamim Iqbal will rotate the scoreboard and therefore he didn’t play his shots,” Mahedi said.
“I am fortunate that I got the deliveries which came into my zone, which was not to be for Tamim Iqbal. I wanted to finish off the game by my own. But I got out.”
BSS/SMP/SMM/1915 hrs