Mushiqur Rahim has so far been the hero of the Bangladesh team, taking it out of all difficult circumstances while batting in both the games of their series against Sri Lanka so far. In the second match on May 25 at the Shere Bangla Stadium, the wicket-keeper batsman hit a prolific 125 to take his team to a fighting 246, which at the end seemed way too much for a paltry effort by the Lankan batters.
"Like every century, this too is a special innings if the team wins," Rahim said at the post-match press conference in Dhaka. "It contributed to our first ODI series win over Sri Lanka, so it will inspire me to do better in the coming days."
The 34-year-old was happy with his innings but wished he utilised all the deliveries. “I am happy with the innings, but we missed out on the last eleven balls, and in a close contest, those 10-20 runs become crucial for us. I want to improve my batting more," he said.
Saying that his target was to bat throughout the innings, Rahim added that getting 246 after so much rain disruption wasn’t really bad. “The more important thing was that I was mentally prepared to switch on and switch off due to the weather,” he said.
A senior statesman of the team now with more than 70 Tests and 200 ODIs under his belt, the Bogra born believes that youngsters need to raise their hands and perform. His analogy that with seven or eight performers, the team will more often than not come out on top is anything but illogical.
"After Tamim and Shakib got out early, there was an opportunity for Liton [Das], Afif [Hossain] and Mosaddek [Hossain], who got a chance. They are trying but they have to be more selective. One has to know when to play a low-risk and when to play high-risk shots on this type of wicket,” Rahim said.
"I hope they become more mature, but I'd be pleased if they can quickly take a lesson from here. It makes things difficult when the pressure comes upon us in big matches. If they start contributing, Bangladesh will become a stronger one-day team,” added the former skipper who has so far hit 209 runs in two innings.