Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan entered exclusive list of T20 all-rounders on September 1 at Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Shakib scored 24 runs from 22 deliveries but managed to complete 6,000 runs in T20 cricket (including T20Is and franchise cricket). The Bangladesh skipper has become the second all-rounder after West Indies Dwayne Bravo to score more than 6,000 runs and 400-plus wickets.
Bravo has scored 6,871 runs from 423 innings at an average of 23.05 including 20 half-centuries. With the ball, he has 605 wickets to his name. On the other hand, Shakib now has 6,009 runs from 339 innings at an average of 20.63 including 23 half-centuries. The left-arm spinner has taken 419 wickets including four fifers.
Shakib came in to bat at no.3 after Sri Lanka skipper Dasun Shanaka won the toss and opted to bowl first in the must-win clash. His innings was cut short by spinner Maheesh Theekshana. The southpaw's short stay at the crease included three boundaries.
Despite the skipper not being able to convert the start into a big score, Bangladesh posted 183/7 on the board. Afif Hossain's 22-ball 39 followed by cameos from Mosaddek Hossain and Taskin Ahmed took Bangladesh to a fighting total.
Shakib is currently the leading wicket-taker in T20Is. He has 122 wickets from 101 games including a fifer. Against Sri Lanka, he turned out to be expensive in his first spell after conceding 21 runs from two overs. He bowled well in his second spell and conceded just eight runs from the next two overs in the middle overs to put pressure on Sri Lanka.
In the previous game against Afghanistan, he scored 11 runs and took one wicket while conceding just 13 runs from his quota of four overs. Despite Shakib’s economical bowling, Najibullah Zadran’s cameo helped Afghanistan win by seven wickets and cement their place in the Super 4.
